We like to admire the Dutch for being smart, innovative, and even cute. But let’s be real, nobody’s perfect, and even the Dutchies can, in fact, be quite annoying.
As an international in the Netherlands, there are probably at least a dozen things that came to your mind already. We put our heads together and asked for your help to compile the ultimate list of the most vervelende (annoying) things Dutch people do.
Disclaimer: Yes, we know — not EVERY Dutch person does these things. But we’ve seen them done more often than we would like, which is how they’ve all earned a well-deserved spot on this list. 😉
1. Always switch to English
As amazing as the Dutch’s ability to speak English is, it can sometimes make learning the local language an impossible endeavour. Why? As soon as a Dutchie hears a hint of a foreign accent, they will automatically switch to English.
Sometimes, you don’t even have to open your mouth — they just see your face (or height, in my case) and resort to English straight away.
There’s one thing we’ve gotta give them, though: if you explain to a Dutchie that you’d really like to master the guttural “g” and everything else that comes with speaking Dutch and ask them to practice with you, they will be more than happy to help out.
2. Split bills to the cent & send Tikkies for everything
The Dutch stinginess, ehm… thriftiness is probably not a new concept to most, and we could ramble on forever about the downright stingy things Dutch people do. However, this list of annoying things wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t mention the infamous Tikkie.
And what’s more Dutch than Tikkie itself? Being Tikkied for literally every cent — no joke. If you think we’re exaggerating, the stats don’t lie: 10,000 Tikkie payments for under €2 are made in the Netherlands every day!
3. Argue for discounts
If there’s one thing the Dutch love more than bicycles and bread for lunch, it’s discounts.
We’ve even heard stories of Dutchies asking for discounts because they didn’t use the mini sachet of mayo that came with their meals. 🤔 Now, THAT is frugality at its finest.
4. Use diseases for swearing
Has anyone ever called you “cancer”? You would think that it would be considered weird (not to mention extremely inappropriate) to swear with deadly diseases.
If you do find this odd, you probably haven’t been familiarised with Dutch swear words yet. A large percentage of these are, weirdly, made up of illnesses… cholera, typhus, plague, you name it.
Come on, folks, at least use a trigger warning (or use less emotionally charged bad language).
5. Plan everything in advance
If you love going on spontaneous adventures or showing up at your friends’ place unannounced just to say hi, we suggest you move to a different country.
See, the thing is, Dutch people don’t like surprises — and they love to plan stuff.
Life in the lowlands is dictated by the omnipresent Dutch agenda. Want to grab a cup of coffee with a Dutch friend? Make sure you send a written inquiry a couple of weeks in advance so they can fit you into their tight schedule…just kidding — kind of.
(Warning: this habit is highly contagious.)
6. Invade other countries with their caravans in the summer
Have you ever arrived at a beautiful campsite (in or outside the Netherlands) just to see all the spots occupied by massive white caravan trailers that ruin all the views? That’s Dutch people on vacation.
The stats show this too. In 2020 and 2021, a record number of caravan trailers and motorhomes were sold in the Netherlands. The country currently has 573,100 caravan trailers and camper vans — that’s basically one for every 30 Dutchies!!!
We suspect that the reason they love them so much is the fact that camping holidays are extra goedkoop (cheap). 🤔
7. Put condiments on chips — not next to them
Whether you order your friet with mayo, pindasaus, or something else, the sauce will inevitably be placed on your chips. The result?
One-third of your chips are squishy and soaked in a sauce before you even start eating, and the rest of your cone is dryer than a piece of a forgotten hunk of brood.
And no, it’s not the cone’s fault. Dutchies will squish a blob of sauce on top of your chips even when they serve them in a little tray that has a separate compartment specifically designated for the sauce.
8. Say leuk, lekker, and gezellig all the time
Got a new pair of shoes? Leuk! They’re your favourite colour? Also leuk! And you got them at a discount? Superleuk!
You probably got the point — Dutchies are not very creative when it comes to adjectives.
Whether it’s leuk, lekker, or gezellig, one of these words probably pops up in practically every Dutch conversation.
It could almost be an awesome drinking game — down a shot of tequila every time you hear leuk and a shot of vodka every time you hear gezellig at a Dutch party…or maybe not.
READ MORE | 11 untranslatable Dutch words (yes, gezellig is there)
However, Dutch is a difficult language to master, so perhaps this lack of diversity is not at all that bad.
9. Talk loudly, especially on trains
As if the guttural “g”, harsh “sch”, and impossible-to-pronounce “ui” weren’t distressing enough about life in the Netherlands, the Dutch also love to make these sounds very loudly — for some reason, especially when they’re on a train.
While some say that this is a way for the Dutch to show that they’re not keeping secrets, others simply maintain that they love to talk — and more importantly, they love to hear themselves talk.
And the sanctity of the designated silent carriage? Well, it might as well not exist.
10. Turn streets into dumpsters on King’s Day, Carnival, or any other day, really
The Dutch sure know how to celebrate events such as King’s Day or Carnival.
What they apparently don’t know, though, is how to pick up the trash that they scatter around the streets during said events — and on the other 361 days of the year.
One particularly appalling habit that many of our readers hold in contempt is dropping cigarette butts.
Put that together with spitting in the streets and picking the nose in public, and you have the ultimate trifecta of some of the grossest things Dutch people do.
11. Not pick up their dogs’ poo
Let’s start this one with a leaderboard, shall we?
- The Hague: 1,373
- Rotterdam: 1,234
- Utrecht: 638
- Tilburg: 520
- Noordwijk: 473
This is the number of “dog fines” given out in each city from 2016 to 2020, according to research published on Beslist.nl.
Sure, not picking up dog poo is just one of the possible fines included in these dog fines stats — but we’ve heard that the poo issue is still pretty high on the agenda of The Hague municipality.
No wonder — imagine you’re out for a picturesque picnic wearing a cute little dress and nice open summer sandals when suddenly you feel something warm and watery squish under your foot. Heel vervelend!
12. Go crazy with fireworks on New Year’s Eve
One of our readers called this phenomenon a “firework civil war”, and honestly, there’s probably no more appropriate name than this one.
The Dutch like to start the New Year with a bang — literally.
So it doesn’t really come as a surprise that fireworks — and the fireworks bans of 2023 — are a hotly debated topic in the Netherlands.
This is especially annoying after fireworks cost a lofty €10 million in damages in 2021 and burned a Dutch church down during NYE 2022. Not a way to go, Dutchies. 🙃
13. Be terrible at queuing
The messy bundle of human beings you can observe when you’re trying to get on public transport, pay for your groceries at Albert Heijn, or just get on an escalator can’t even be described as a queue — it’s more of a hot mess.
A vivid scene from literally any Dutch train station perfectly captures the essence of this phenomenon.
Just watch as the desperate travellers form a number of clusters in places where they expect the train door to appear and then let a group of even more desperate travellers exit the train through an ever-narrowing gap.
14. Give unsolicited comments and then hide behind “Dutch directness”
Are the Dutch direct, rude, or just emotionless? The answer probably depends on your personal cultural background.
However, the Dutch can definitely take their directness a step too far. As one of our readers sensibly stated, “What’s the benefit of calling someone fat?”
The line between directness and being passive-aggressive or giving unsolicited advice is a fine one to walk.
To a soul uninitiated into the intricacies of the local culture, we understand that it can sometimes feel like the Dutch are overstepping some serious boundaries — and being more than a little annoying.
15. Insist on bread for lunch (and breakfast, and sometimes dinner)
The Dutch are just as creative with their lunch as they are with their adjectives. This is exactly why you won’t find much more than boterhammen (sandwiches) — most likely with kaas (cheese) or hagelslag — in Dutch canteens.
Sandwiches are simply an integral part of Dutch society. 🤷
16. Have horrible cycling habits…
To be fair, there are two sides to this debate. I mean, how would you react if you were a seasoned almost-Nederlander cycling full speed on a path that is exclusively dedicated to fietsers having to manoeuvre around a group of five tourists with two big-ass suitcases each?
But then again, Fast & Furious-style cycling isn’t the only annoying thing about Dutchies and their bikes.
There’s also drunk cycling, cycling without lights, not indicating direction, or accidentally derailing other cyclists who are trying to overtake you because you’re looking at your phone instead of on the road (no, this one is unfortunately not a made-up example, just to be dramatic…).
READ MORE | 7 types of cyclists found when biking in the Netherlands
And then you also have those people who cycle in the worst possible weather — rain, hail, snow, or all three — and then shove it in everyone’s face, making them feel bad about not wanting to sit on a wet bicycle when it feels like the world outside is ending.
We can also understand this one, though — cycling is just so much cheaper than using public transport!
17. …and even worse habits when it comes to parking bicycles
Bike parked where you need to walk on the street? Annoying. Is your bike parked in front of your front door? Annoying.
Bike crammed in next to your bike in an official bike parking spot but making it a huge tangle of handlebars and pedals, so it’s practically impossible to unlock and use your beloved two-wheeler? Super annoying!
The unwritten and unspoken rule about parking bicycles in the Netherlands is this: if the gemeente doesn’t remove it, you can leave it pretty much anywhere.
There’s no such thing as “there’s no space to leave my bike here” — believe me, this mentality has really grown on us over the years.
READ MORE | How the Netherlands became a cycling country
The real badass people will even park their bikes right in front of a ‘Geen fietsen plaatsen’ (no bike parking) sign.
18. Complain about things — but then do nothing about it
Exhibit A: politics. Despite being one of the most politically stable countries in the world, we haven’t met a Dutchie, yet that doesn’t love to complain about their politicians.
Yet somehow, the Dutch have managed to reelect the very same prime minister that they like to complain about so much not once, not twice — but THREE times.
Mind you that this is also the very same prime minister that nearly two-thirds of Dutchies said should leave office.
19. Don’t take criticism very well
While the Dutch will happily criticise other people (or countries) under the pretence of directness, they aren’t always necessarily so open to receiving criticism themselves.
Just think of how adamantly some Dutch people still defend Zwarte Piet as a harmless, jovial “tradition.” Or how defensive they get when somebody else than a Dutchie (especially an American) dares criticise the Netherlands.
They also get offended when people point out some of the not-so-nice things they do. Disagree? Just scroll down to the bottom of this page (or this page) and look at the comments section a few weeks from now. 😉
We’ve all been annoyed by Dutchies, and they have certainly been annoyed by us.
So next time you find yourself in one of these situations, just laugh it off and find comfort in the knowledge that other internationals have probably been there too.
Or, if that doesn’t work — you’re welcome to vent in our comments section. 😉 After all, we always love to hear a good story from the lowlands.
What’s the most annoying thing YOU have experienced in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments below! 👇
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in January 2022, and was fully updated in December 2023 for your reading pleasure.
Basically if you spend several generations encouraging kids to believe there are no consequences, add in the right to use a war none of them were alive for as an argument against everything, whilst ensuring the ranks of the police are undereducated racists then you get Holland.
Holland as in Holland, or the Netherlands?
What?
Talk about passive aggressive and also when was the last time you heard a Dutch person call French fries ‘chips’? Haha.
YOU FORGOT TO MENTION 1) PICKING THEIR NOSES 2) “ROCHELEN” 3) “KANKEREN” 4) “ZEIKEN”
The picture at the top of this article features a woman giving the finger to her phone screen. What is that about? Is that a Dutch thing?
As a Dutch born person living elsewhere in the world it always humours me to read these reviews. I guess every nationality has its own quirks and learning to live with them, whether you like them or not, is the challenge. Sometimes the reviews make me laugh and sometimes they heighten what makes me still feel innately Dutch in another country.
Hmmm. Not move out of the way until you ask them, especially in the train station or on an escalator, or in the supermarket.
Lack empathy when there is a problem, their “directness” often ignores the emotional part.
Blind belief that The Netherlands is better.
Lack of interest in high quality food.
Being super tall- I hate feeling so short.
So confident, lacking introspection and soft skills.
The fraternity culture.
The subtle classism and snobbery.
Subtle? It’s not subtle by any means. A highly stratified, class-based society. Iedereen heeft haar of zijn eigen “hokje”.
Reaching in front of and across you in the supermarket like you’re not there. Whilst not even acknowledging you. A complete lack of manners.
ja i am a born dutchy 1934 now living in Australia since 1952 and happy here
Omg, they really never stop talking in a public transport. Either in person or calls. Even when there is no one else is talking and everyone can hear what they are talking about. And they talk non stop. It’s not a conversation, or super loud conversation. Machine gun talk of one person talking about something. It really comes into my head when they talk non stop loudly behind my seat. Oh my god, they have such a low standard. They are happy as long as they are happy.
What irritates the most is that they expect you to celebrate the way they celebrate, birthdays for instance. A colleague said to me that ‘you don’t celebrate your birthdays’……..well I said, yes we do but not with coffee and cake sitting in a circle! If you don’t do it the Dutch way it’s wrong! So annoying!
we eten ook kaas, augurken, en worst. Niet vergeten hè?
Veel landen eten kaas, augurken, en worst.
Ik wil een haring en een frikandel speciaal voor mijn verjaardag! En een lekker pilsje van de tap!
(It’s been waaaayyyy too long…. )
Like expecting you to shell out on your own birthday to provide everyone else with cake. Ridiculous. Dutch generosity is when someone else pays.
Like most people they’re an enigma. No I’ll tell you the most annoying: a 7ft cross eyed Weinstein look alike telling you to go the wrong way in the train station then eyeballing you hard sneering when you wlak back. It’s a nacro state end of discussion 😆
I moved here with my Dutch husband ( I am from west coast States) at the height of the pandemic…… it was, and still has been, a tough journey. Reading this made me feel seen and heard!! All things I have commented on endlessly and my husband after having been away for 8 years is in full agreement.
I have always thought being direct is just pure fame because they love to stab at people in their backs, have seen sooo many times “coffee or tea?” And when the visitor leaves they talk so bad about the person and even vent their his/her private life which is none of your bussinnes. Not to mention they love make fun and jokes at expense of others but if you make fun of them they may get offended and tell you “go back to your country”
Bit extreme but, yes kind off
Exactly
Yes, well, we are not perfect. I would argue though that lots of these arguments, although of course very funny, are generalisations. You should the east and north part of the Netherlands, the famous directness applies only to the west part. Lots of foreigners also do not know how to deal with our directness. You should not be offended of sensitive, just give a direct or competitive reply. People in the west of our country think they are always competing and openly challenge everybody.
To many foreigners – including Scandinavians – this cultural expectation to always have a competitive (betweter) response to answer unsolicited directness can be exhausting. It takes quite some time getting used to. People are so into each others business here in NL. I’ve lived in the North of the country for many years, and it’s the same up here. This is alien to a Swede or a Norwegian, where we mostly ignore other people. This is one reason many foreigners find us rude, and conversely why we often find them distracting and obnoxious. Yes it’s a generalization, with exceptions. But in my experience the outliers do not greatly affect the average. Cultural norms and familial ties enforce personality types and ways of being; my theory is that it’s been selected for. This direct, often unsolicited betweter approach is far more common in the Netherlands compared to say England, Belgium, Scandinavia, or dare I say even Germany. Books have been written on the subject, such as “Dealing With The Dutch” (Vossestein, J.).
It’s neither a generalisation nor only in the west. It’s national. It might be more pronounced in the west or the entire Randstad. What’s irritating about it is the inability to differentiate honesty from being tactless fool. Also there’s no need to project abnormally pronounced ‘honesty’, which isn’t really ‘honesty’ but the pressing of ‘my view’. There’s also something else feeding into it: the assumption that everyone is an ‘expert’ and qualified to dole out advice. Numbers 14 and 19 on this list are sides of the same coin. People who lack sophisticated social interaction cues who act like oafish bumpkins then take instant offence at criticism.
My Ex was Dutch. She played the sensitive card.
Well. But the next minute. She was Ruthless.
lol. She refused to stand inline. Never liked being in the wrong. Would never buy food while out.
Would take her own coffees on picnics. And water from our own tap. And would plan outings at the cheapest places. And still complain.
Honestly, I think she dodged a bullet with you.
I am a Dutch girl and I´ve dated someone that bought Starbucks, sandwiches and expensive food on the street, it was a massive annoyance of mine.
Needless packaging that ruins the environment, needless costs made for food that you have at home.
Needless sugar in your Starbucks to rot away your teeth and needless money spend on activities that are about being together.
I don’t know your nationality but I’d advice you to date an American girl next time. They will gladly spend (your) money on food and things to destroy the environment.
What an irrelevant and dumb comment. It just underscores you guys can’t handle criticism and rush to judge people you don’t even know.
Thank you we laughed hard. I am of Dutch ancestry (hundreds of years but….). I love spending money on my sweetheart. I can’t imagine him seeing your reply and saying “Oh yes, I miss the frugality of my ex.” I respect others right to cultural identity, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t make me smile. Even here in the USA we are a hodge podge of social groups. We are amazed by each other and enjoy people laughing at our personal idiosyncrasies. Check out Dry Bar Comedy, free on You Tube.
What are you on about? There is an enormous amount of money spent here in NL on idiotically-priced coffee from places like Starbucks.
Arrogant- we are the best!
Loud- love to give you advice cause they
know best!
Don’t think for themselves- Holland is full of conspiracy theorists, not prepared to listen, but insisting telling you the way it is!
I do not exaggerate when I say that the most unsympathetic person I have ever met in my life (I’m 32) until now is a Dutch. They moved to my own country to work, and was my colleague for some time. There was a good energy among the other people from the team, except with this person. I absolutely do not want to generalize, as I am aware that not all Dutch are unlikeable people. However this bad experience left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
Then you should brush your teeth more often. did you know that we Dutchies take good care of our teeth? Tip of the week, brush your teeth in the morning and evening so you can also have a fresh start of the day! And do not forget to smile when when you pass a Dutchie 😉
Actually personal hygiene in NL is the worst of all of Europe. It’s a fact. Only 50% wash their hands after visiting the restroom, you pick your noses and don’t brush your tongues which should be part of the standard dental hygiene ritual.
Wat weer een domme nl opmerking.Lekker bijdehand joh!
Dutch people can never keep a secret. They do not respect your will in what to share with others. If they think it is ok, then it is definitely ok. It doesn’t matter how you think or feel about it. They enjoy sharing news and they are always curious to know more!
I am married to a dutch man for 37 years and I lived in Holland for 14 years. I find the Dutch very opinionated. They love to discuss other people’s behaviour behind a person’s back. They don’t like criticism. And they are very formal in their ways.
HOLD HANDS WHILE CYCLING
I know this thread is for people who emigrated or visited the Netherlands but still, a lot of these are that Dutch people are mean, unsympathetic and rude, but you’ll find these especially in big cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam
Also weird one: not tell people when their annoying, I much rather have people say I’m annoying straight to my face then when people say it behind my back
I am English but have lived in the Neterhlands for 15 years. I don’t have a problem with the Dutch people. The fine art of being insulting and getting in the way are something they grew up with and hardly notice. As for the terrible national cuisine, it is possible to eat well at many restauraunts or by preparing your own food. There is more to be had than Stampot, uitsmijters and chips (fries) with pindasaus. There are also things that seem to work very well. The health system, for example, is a lot more expensive than the UK’s NHS (the state contributes from our taxes, but it is compulsory to buy insurance and it stil has a heft excess). But at least it is possible to be seen and treated before a disease becomes terminal. They are alos pretty good at managing water (thank goodness, else we’d all be drowned).
But the Dutch state grabs far too much of our income in taxes … much of which it proceeds to waste, and it keeps far too much information on its citizens and residents. The Nazis would have loved to have the sort of information that is now available. Not one jew would have survived. It seems that nothing has been learned from the second world war, other than how to use propaganda to keep us all clueless about the true state of the world and keep we little people in our place.
Most annoying to me personally was having my British bank accounts closed, at the request of the Dutch Government, by the British Banks when Britain left the EU, leaving me with no way to buy anything from any company outside the Netherlands.
I wonder how many millionaires and billionaires had their accounts in Switzerland, the Channel Islands and the Bahamas closed?
It would not be so bad except that the standard payment system here (iDeal) is only usable in the Netherlands and Belgium. iDeal claim that it is used in 50 countries but I see no evidence of it. They claim it is less costly than alternatives and has the big advantage that your card details are not seen by the vendor. They fail to mention the enormous disadvantage that you cannot claw back a payment if a vendor fails to deliver what they promised. You have to contact the vendor. Not a lot of use if they are a criminal scammer or a big multinational that does not care that losing a few hundred euros for several weeks (KLM are you listening) is not a trivial matter for a great many people. Credit cards are better for the consumer, but Banks are not keen to issue credit cards. Some banjks have been talking about rolling out Visa and Mastercard debit cards that will work world-wide, but they do not seem to be in any hurry about it.
I use my credit card for such purchases, anyone can get one issued by their bank and they are internationally accepted. I agree that the authorities like keeping information on everyone, but it’s worse than that. Very often they will lose (or ignore) information relevant for you, but keep very detailed information beneficial to the administrative system. They can find you at the drop of a hat if they think you were overpaid by 4 cents by the Belastingdienst. If you want to get in touch with the Belastingdient because they diddled you the administrative system immediately turns into French bureaucracy.
One point though, your tax isn’t spending money so it is never ‘wasted’. The fiscal space created by taxation and subsequent new spending choices may be unpopular or unwise, but that’s different. Whatever tax you pay is the legal and correct amount, unless (like a large number in this country) you avoid it.
👍
Wat weer een domme nl opmerking.Lekker bijdehand joh!
As a dutch expat since 1989 I always like these reviews, brings a knowing smile to the face.
Although some seem pretty universal across the world.
Always switching to English? Well, so do Greeks, Turks, Egyptians. It just make sense, find the language that everybody speaks, to a degree, so the conversation can keep flowing.
Splitting the bills? Here in the US when out with a group there usually is one who orders a starter for dinner,who keeps track on who had the more expensive drinks, who insists getting his or her own separate bill from the server, or instead of just splitting the total x divided by n.
Diseases for swearing: you forgot pleurisy (pleuris)! Although plague-pox (pest pokken) is another good one!
Caravans: just because it pisses off the Germans I say go for it!
Condiments on chips: of course! I would commit a crime for a nice frietje met right now (grew up in Nijmegen where we say “Friet met” and not “patat met”)
Leuk is het equivalent van “nice” which you hear everywhere in the english speaking word and is the equivalent of “leuk,” “lekker” en “gezellig” all in one! People are nice, food is nice, and have a nice day!
Must agree that some dutch people don’t have a volume button. See it mainly on planes now.
As a devout anti-monarchist I don’t do “koningsdag” and don’t do carnaval either. So no rubbish from me on the pavement!
Dog poo is a plague in NL. In the US everyone cleans up. In England where I also lived there just did not seem to be that many dogs around.
Fireworks are just fun. Americans light their own also. Although not as much as we do plus they live further apart so you don’t get the density.
Queuing? No worse then everybody else except for the kings and queens of the queue, the Brits.
Bread for breakfast, lunch and snacks is great. better than eating burgers and fries or chinese takeout or pizza for EVERY SINGLE LUNCH! (currently in the land of morbid obesity the USA) That is why we are tall and slender as a whole.
Cycling: I wish Americans cycled like dutch people. American cyclists pop up everywhere, drive against the traffic, jump on and off kerbs, and in parks etc are put on the same paths as pedestrians. So you get lycra clad bike racers on paths with elderly people and mums with prams. Nuts.
Parking bikes: can you imagaine those were cars? Right …
Complaining: we are good at that but so is everybody else. “Let’s have a good moan” people used to say when I lived in England.
And not taking criticism well, that goes everywhere also. try critisizing Americans …..manifest destiny and all that ….
Something which always strikes me when in NL is that when you overhear locals talking in public places or on their phones, they are usually complaining about something! I speak Dutch fluently, so believe me I understand what they are saying. They have a relatively high quality of life but their topics of conversations are usually complaints. I have been in poor countries where life is much tougher but the locals seem happier, judging by their conversations.