Sure enough, the Dutch are known to be direct, but have you ever borne the brunt of Dutch indirectness? Honestly, it may just be a little bit worse.
Dutchies have yet another odd characteristic to add to the list of direct Dutch de(mean)ours, depending on how you look at it. 👀
What is it?
We know that everybody loves a good gossip from time to time, and we plead guilty to doing so too.
But it stings a little deeper when you’re a non-Dutch speaker and can’t fully know if you’re the object of a whispering campaign. 🤫
Or when you are a Dutch speaker who can pick up on every word of it…
Love it when we're speaking English on public transport and then Dutch folks are gossiping about us in Dutch thinking we can't understand them.
— Aviva (she/her) (@AvivaDassen) August 20, 2021
The lady who isn't wearing a mask (though you have to) thinks we're not first-class material because we're having döner for lunch. 😂
Don’t worry! There are several tell-tale signs; you don’t need to be a body language expert to recognise them.
READ MORE | Communication breakdown: understanding the Dutch approach to conversation
The main issue here is differentiating between whether you’re being paranoid or if they are laughing at the fact that you’re wearing a helmet while on a bike. 🚴
Why do they do it?
You may have heard of the German word schadenfreude. If not, it means a sense of pleasure derived from another’s misfortune.
Well, there’s a Dutch term for that, too: leedvermaak. It’s probably just a learned behaviour. After all, we’re only human. 🤷
READ MORE | Dutch Quirk #61: Joke openly about Germans
Of course, people always gossip, and Dutchies are no strangers to the fact. And mostly, it’s not out of spite or meanness.
Though it can be, especially when you’ve just walked onto a faded path that is a cycling route…
Why is it quirky?
Often, people caught gossiping red-handed hang their heads in shame. 🙈
READ MORE | Why don’t the Dutch say sorry?
Not the Dutch! If you’re brave enough to confront them, they will say it to your face without the slightest bit of remorse, which is niet zo leuk.
@rashi.in.amsterdam Learn dutch for the tea ☕️ #learndutch #nederlandsleren #livinginthenetherlands #expatsinthenetherlands #justdutchthings #dutchtiktok #tiktoknl #speakdutch ♬ 原聲 – mycatso_cute
You may not know Dutch as an international, so you likely won’t recognise that they’re gossiping about you.
But if you do, they’ll assume you don’t understand what they’re saying, making you a laughing stock for all involved.
Should you join in?
Nee.
We believe there are far nicer aspects of Dutch life that you should participate in, such as wearing orange on King’s Day or taking part in their natural ice-skating tradition. 🧡
What do you think of this Dutch quirk? Have you experienced it? Tell us in the comments below! 👇