What do you think the dutch people are?

not so much anymore nowadays ...

I totally agree with you. All the same in other parts of the Netherlands. Dutch people just make friends with the Dutch only, speak (preferably) only Dutch during the breaks and after them (even on the lectures, where language of instruction is English), cook (bad) only Dutch staff (not really but.. ) ...they are just too nationalistic I think.
The University I am studying at is supposed to be international, but it is actually not, IT IS MAINLY FOR DUTCH. Yes they all speak English here, but it doesn't really mean that they are internationalized.
I agree on a climate as well, HORRIBLE, I was sick whole winter and spring. Always windy (cause no mountains here), RAIN and almost no sun.

Hi there eveyone,

I would like to comment on this because of my experience with dutch society.

Dutch people are which i know - (many)

* Playing Secure - like to play safe in social life beside work, wich can be very boring :/

*Ironic - Nice point to chill the air

*Moody - Many dutch people i meet because of the weather effects are pesimist wich they think realist

*Very Direct - Very honest opinion.

*Unsecure about them selves - They call that (zelf beschermen) if u say to the dutch i am good at that thing Dutch will look at u like u r aragont

*Well Educated - Most of them knows what's happening.

*No Passion - Dutch do not understand the passion, because there is no logic in it

*Social Life - In a conversation they expect u to be open, but i dont know if u will get the same back

*Friend - Making a friend it can be pain in the ass, because they dont trust easily. Once u hit it they can do anything for u. simple as that.

*Humor - They dont like sarcastic jokes which we think is very funny

Last but not least - They think they are not racist but most of time they are complaining about imagrents

there's some good ones in there actually . specially the last one ...

Dutch people always try to speak the language of the people they are talking to. In school we (I'm dutch myself) have English, German, French, Spanish, Latin and Dutch. Though only English and Dutch are required subjects. You do have to choose French or German.

This is a good thing, right? When we come to for instance Germany (we don't hate them really, but we don't like them either) we'll always try to speak German, we think it's rude to speak your own language in an other country. When someone from Germany comes here, he'll speak German, and we'll answer in German. The same goes for the French and English. Almost everybody speaks English here. I can't image that we won't talk English to a foreign student, but it's normal we'll talk in Dutch to each other right?

And by the way:

We think Germans are unfriendly and don't have a proper sense of humor, and are very nationalistic.
We think Belgians are nice, but talk funny.
We think the French drink wine all day and eat breadsticks. Nationalistic too.
We think English people have a great accent, are nice, but don't have taste.
We think Spanish people are very nationalistic but have a nice language, and we like the country.
We think Americans are fat, eat hamburgers all day, and are very dumb. Politically very right wing too, 30 percent of the people doesn't have a life insurance there, in the Netherlands (or Holland, as foreigners like to call it) that is required. Poverty is a really big problem in America, we don't have a lot of that here. The difference between rich and poor is bigger there. We don't like Americans really, we like the country though.
We think Italians are all involved with the mafia (which they are) and eat pizzas and spaghetti all the time.

That's about it. We're not very nationalistic, but we don't like countries that are. America, France, Germany, Spain, etc.

dutch people suck big time! they are a bunch of sneaky people who are very intolerance. Think about the deportation of the jews..many dutch people sold jews to hitler..

'That's about it. We're not very nationalistic, but we don't like countries that are. America, France, Germany, Spain, etc.'

You dutch all hate every country..Thats wat makes you all Nationalistic!

I agree with you! They always speak dutch and make only friends with dutch people..no mather what..

In today's Radio Netherlands press review:

"moral duty"? eek.

I'd always thaught that it was a moral duty for all Dutch people make at least two times per year holidays in the Sauerland ...

I'm sorry but we (i'm dutch) Don't hate those country's. He says we don't like them. And even that is not true for all Dutch people. I know lots of people who love going to France or Spain.

Most dutch are as said individual. But when you get to meet them they can be very friendly and will do everything for you.

We learn some languages at school (French, German, English etc) and it is an habit to reply in the language spoken to. When someone speaks Dutch they wil respond in Dutch. When someone speaks English they will reply in English.

Also Dutch is a kind of hard language. It has a lot of those hard sounds in it. Like the G. This is often mistaken for rudeness by people who don't understand what they're saying. It's just how it sounds. And of course there is a difference in people from a village or people from a city.

the hard G is o.k. with me . i really like a good DUTCH GOUDA !
( and i said DUTCH - not some imitation ) .

Well here i go again =)

@Jellevdwerff
I live since 2 years now in the Netherlands,
dutch language is rough dude!! it really sucks i mean i feel like people ll throw on me when they speak =) lol..

I do agree with the part dutch are speaking german and english properly back.They are not proud of their country or ( nationalistic ) , it is very logic and it makes sense to me, because if i v born here i wouldn't be proud as well =))) dude seriously come on what have u got to be proud of in ur country =))))

U can't compare the system of Usa with Netherlands dude do u have any idea how big Usa is =) every state has a different policy n laws once again they are not a city ( State ). maybe thats the reason they named USA =)

Dude u guys need DAYLIGHT

Hi Natty
I am born Dutch, but grew up in South Africa, went back to holland after 32 years.What absolute rubbish. The people think they know everything, and they always know best.I hate holland I live in England now. You will never be happy in that country,as you are lived there and are not living the life you want to live.
Get out and have a life far away from them. Then as I say, I was born Dutch.the best thing my father ever did was to take us away from Holland.
Good Luck

We don't hate everybody, that's bullshit
We learn foreign languages because we're a tiny country and we trade a lot with Germay, America and other countries.
Me and my friends think American people rock, i've been on my holiday in America and all the people are nice, and about the fat-thing: you don't see that much fat people, every country has fat people.
It may look like we don't trust anybody, but that's because we learn to be careful. We do like having conversations in the supermarket or the mall with people you absolutely don't know ;D
And yeah it's true that a lot of Dutch people don't like Germans
but a lot of them do like Germans (like me) they're very kind and helpful, in the big cities and the little villages.
Wel, that's about it.
p.s. Don't hate so much because you read something you don't like

My experiences in Netherlands is no different than this. Dutch people are very curious, they never hesitate to spy on their neighbours houses. If you don't let them they easily have the idea that something weird is going on in that house. Its one big village in the middle of Europe with no real shopping malls. You are confined with some weird Dutch taste of fashion which is the same everywhere. Unless you like drugs and weird clubs, you will be bored to death for sure. A small suggestion for those who don't want to have one of those irritating shopping trips in supermarket... go shopping between 5 and 6 pm since it is national dinner time in Holland. You will find it more comfortable then with no slow people diving u nuts.

I hate the dutch sooo dearly I don't even know where to start. I have been living in this country for three years now and finally moving away from here

people in public transport are selfish and rude. in a train packed with people most dutch occupy two seats with their bags and wait for someone to actually move their stuff so other people can sit. also they are loud when talking on the phone and never realize that they disturb toher passenger unless someone has the balls to tell them to be quiet... basically no education what so ever

they act like they are wise and are always prone to teach some one a lesson and to patronize them all they can. they act and talk like they are always right and know everything better

in a queue they will always try to sneak before you especially the old people. if you tell them to stop they act all surprised and stare at you with big dull eyes like you insulted them

at work everybody interupts everybody and the one who speaks loudest (they call it grote bek - big mouth) has usually the final say or gets to make a point.

they talk for hours and brainstorm and discuss and so on before they make a decision for which no one wants to be held accountable yet they act like they are big shots (stoer) but most of them are afraid of commitment and accountibility. when you think they are done talking that's basically when their debate only starts.

nothing is ever good or satisfying. there always has to be a ..but... they can never say YES. they always say yes, BUT (ja, maar with r a bit inhaled between the tongue and the throat which always makes it sound more irritating)

they can never give compliments or encourage people. they critisize everything and everybody and seem to be always about to come up with the most intelligent say. they always finish your sentences when you start to talk. they talk a very bad english and think they are all born linguists. they are cocky arrogant loud rude and think it's cool to act like that.

I could go on like that for hours, days but I really dislike everything this country has to offer. that's why I am leaving.

No really, but don't hold back, tell us what you really think!

Some of those things actually make me kind of interested - if you don't mind me asking - where are you from myself? Just asking because when it comes to some of the rude things you mention in the beginning, in trains and on phones and in queues, I've seen Americans, Germans, all kinds of Europeans do the same. And when it comes to interrupting people when they're talking, they are worse about that here in Hungary, it really takes me aback -- not to even mention South-European countries, or course. So now I'm wondering, or curious, where you're from, like whether maybe you're from Eastern Asia for example, or I don't know where?

Dutch people are loud, though, that's true. Not as loud as Americans (sorry, folks), but definitely louder than Belgians (who consider us Dutch people rude, arrogant boors, not without justification), louder than French, Scandinavians, Central Europeans and, dare I say it, Germans. The lack of capacity to give compliments and the endless discussions at work to create consensus that nobody then feels accountable for, oh yeah, those are recognizable too. And being patronizing, we're very good at that - it used to drive my ex-gf completely batty.


This last one's a bit rich though, considering the garbled English in which the paragraph itself is written...

Where are you moving to?

Since you're here, nimh (I've waited for you to respond - and I agree with it), isn't the meaning of "maar" a bit different than just saying 'but'?

[Though I'm quite often in the Netherlands -since 55 years now - my Dutch is just rudiment.]