The map above is a humours look at how the Dutch view other European languages.
Of course Dutch itself is view as the best language, with English being their second language since over 90% of people in the Netherlands can speak it.
A few of the other languages singled out include:
- German: (fake) over complicated Dutch
- Danish: Unintelligible inhuman sounds (total disaster)
- Swedish: Furniture names (due to Ikea)
- Finnish: How does one even learn this language?
- Estonian: Or this one?
- Hungarian: Totally alien language (since it, Finish and Estonian are part of the the Finno-Ugric language family)
- Italian: Sign language (due to all the hand motions)
- Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian: Mirrored letters (since they written using the Cyrillic alphabet)
- Greek: These were made with math symbols right?
For a slighter more serious look at language, have a look at the following books:
- Lingo: A Language Spotter’s Guide to Europe
- The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language
- The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind’s Greatest Invention
What do you think? If you enjoyed it, please help us by sharing it:
VarAway says
Very, VERY Funny! ( furniture language )
Thank you.
jtyjhy says
“Brazillian” “salsa tequilla” and “funnier with a mickey mouse voice”
lmfaoo
Duarte says
“Finnish”! Does anyone proofread this stuff?!?!?
Cruiser Crody says
How would you spell it?
Walda Otankis says
What about the Baltic sister countries, Latvia and Lithuania? They stand alone with their language from 5000 years ago.
Poptoy1949 says
Spain has no Tequilla………Never did.
Zimriel says
Pretty sure Spain has tequila now. Didn’t they import a lot of Latin Americans? I know I saw some Native Americans in Portugal(!), selling Inca trinkets, when I went there.
Poptoy1949 says
???
Dominique Ligot says
No comment ! We are the best
skerdi meta says
Do the Dutch have an opinion on the Albanian language?
willem westerlaken says
No we have never heard of it.
anonymous says
… it’s a peasant language for orcs.
pst314 says
Why is Iceland labeled “black speech”? Is that a reference to orc speech in the Lord of the Rings?
jhans says
i’m Dutch, I have no idea.
The only two Islandic words I’ve ever seen in on Dutch tv are Eyjafjallajökull and Björk.
Paul says
Italy? Lanugage
Lygia says
Oh, you missed Faroese. Unforgivable! 😂😂
Mark says
Seems the Dutch haven’t even heard of their own West Frisian language, as it’s not on the map !
Jj says
Officialy West Frisian is dialect and Frisian is a language. Not that it makes any difference. I don’t understand both of them
H Court says
Love here and there is NO WAY 90% speak English.
Jj says
True. I am Dutch and don’t understand anyone in Liverpool))
Martyn Brewer says
I am English and I sometimes don’t understand Liverpuddlian.
Anita says
Salsa Tequila? There are more Spanish people than Mexican people here!
Jj says
Officialy West Frisian is dialect and Frisian is a language. Not that it makes any difference. I don’t understand both of them
Maree we n says
What? No opinion on Basque? Shame!
Emmie de Boer says
The top 10 most spoken languages in the world
(Only 22 million poepie in the world speak Dutch…I am one of them😀)
No.LanguageAmount of speakers1.Mandarin Chinese1248 million2.Spanish437 million3.English372 million4.Arabic295 million5.Hindi260 million6.Bengali242 million7.Portuguese219 million8.Russian154 million9.Japanese128 million10.Punjabi119 million
N says
If you’re going to write about languages, spell check and grammar check first. Adds a lot to your credibility!
N says
I am sure no dutch person confuses Spain for a Latin American country . Salsa and tequila are as foreign to Spain as they are to the Netherlands. . Same with the Portugal/Brazil joke – seriously do you realize how far and foreign Brazil is for Europeans? This is so obviously created by a dumb American. Its embarrassing – we are not all this ignorant in the US
Dutchie says
If you ask my fellow Dutch(wo)men their opinion on French language, you’ll often hear that we think it sounds like music and would love to learn if they wouldn’t bully you on every mistake as soon as you try.