Pronto Translations has over 20 years of experience in the field of professional translation services and can provide you with seasoned specialists in English-to-Dutch translation services.
If you need a reliable language translation service agency to help you with an English translation to Dutch for business or official purposes, you can trust Pronto Translations. We can provide interpretation and provide a Certification of Accuracy for translation to Dutch in any field or specialization from business and financial to legal and medical documents.
Where is Dutch spoken?
Dutch (Nederlands), with about 25 million people native speakers and 5 million second-language speakers, is spoken by virtually the entire citizenry of the Netherlands and approximately 60% of the population of Belgium. In terms of number of speakers, Dutch places eighth among all languages spoken in the European Union.
Dutch is also the native language of the majority of the population in Suriname, a former Dutch colony in South America. It is also spoken, although more often as a second-language in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint-Maarten, three island countries in the Caribbean. The US, Canada and Australia are collectively home to some half a million native speakers. Small communities of Dutch speakers remain in France, Germany and Indonesia, however, these groups are on the verge of aging out.
Afrikaans is a separate, but, in great part, mutually intelligible descendant of Dutch spoken as both native and second language by 16 million people in South Africa and Namibia. Over time, the orthography and grammar has varied from standard Dutch to the degree that Afrikaans is now treated as a separate language.
An official language in six countries and three regions
You will need professional Dutch translation services in nine six countries or regions where Dutch is the official language:
It is the sole official language in Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, Sint Maarten and Suriname and the three islands of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius. Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands and Sint Maarten are the four countries that form the Kingdom of Netherlands, while Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius, three islands in the Caribbean, are special municipalities of the Netherlands. Suriname is an independent country.
Whenever you need a translation into Dutch, we are ready to help you.
Dutch is one of the three national languages of Belgium (sharing the status with French and German), and the only official language of Flanders, which region that occupies the northern 70% of the country. Dutch is co-official with French in Brussels, the capital of the country.
| Netherlands Dutch | Flemish (Belgium) Dutch | English |
| aardappel | patat | potatoes |
| alweer | weraal | again |
| begane grond | gelijkvloers | ground floor |
| behoefte hebben aan | nood hebben aan | need |
| druk | benomen | pressure |
| een stuk taart | een spie toert | a piece of cake |
| frachtauto | camion | lorry (UK) / truck (US) |
| gympen | basketloefen | gymnastics |
| in de trein | op de trein | on the train |
| jurk | kleedje | dress |
| kinderen | kleinmannen | children |
| klittenband | velcro | velcro |
| kopje | tas | cup |
| patat | friet | chips (UK) / French fries (US) |
| pot | bokaal | jar |
| punaise | duimspijker | thumbtack |
| rotonde | rondpunt | roundabout (UK) / traffic circle (US) |
| schoonmaakster | kuisvrouw | cleaning lady |
| snelweg | autostrade | motorway (UK) / highway (US) |
| toetsenbord | klavier | keyboard |
| vouwfiets | plooifiets | folding bicycle |
| wentelteefjes | verloren brood | French toast |
The Dutch Language Union
The Dutch Language Union (Nederlandse Taalunie, NTU) was founded based on a treaty between Netherlands and Belgium (on behalf of the country’s Flemish community) in 1980. As part of the ongoing federalization of Belgium to resolve tensions between the country’s French- and Dutch-speaking parts, the agreement was updated and signed anew between Netherlands and Flanders. Suriname joined as an associate member in 2004.
The role of the NTU is to define what is Standard Dutch (Algemeen Nederlands, AN), the standard language that is taught in schools and adopted by the authorities in all the countries and regions where Dutch is the official language.
Two key and controversial changes instituted by the NTU were the reforms of Dutch spelling in 1995 and again in 2005. The new orthographies were formalized in succession in NTU’s well-known booklet entitled Word list of the Dutch language (Woordenlijst Nederlandse taal), more commonly referred to as the “Groene boekje” (“Green booklet“) due to its easily recognizable green color. Reforming the spelling of the Dutch language twice caused much consternation in publishing circles, with much of the mainstream media in the Netherlands refusing to go along with the second reform and publishing their own version, what became known as the ‘White book’, with slightly different spellings and rules. Currently both orthographies are in use, causing at times confusion among the general populace: the Green booklet has been adopted by the educational system and the government, while the White booklet is the one in use by the general media including newspapers, magazine and TV stations.
On the other hand, Flanders, and by default, all of Belgium adopted the second reform across the board.
These differences may seem trifling; however, they can play an outsized importance in how a document might be received by your recipient. Only the deeply experienced translators of a professional translation firm will know which guideline to adopt based on the content and the intended audience.
Are there differences between Netherlands Dutch and Flemish (Belgian) Dutch?
It is important to point out that despite the NTU’s efforts at normalizing the way the Dutch language is spoken in the Netherlands, in Flanders (Belgium) and in Suriname, differences abound. Fundamentally, the two areas speak the same language. The difference could be compared to the difference between American and British English, and just like the two varieties of English, words have different meanings and the way grammar rules are applied can vary.
Even though they are the same thing, the inhabitants of Flanders may refer to the language that they speak as Flemish (vlaams) rather than Dutch (nederlands). Segments of the population in Flanders may even insist that their variety of Dutch is in reality a separate language.
The Flemish take a much more purist approach to the language than the Dutch. They are less likely to adopt English and German loan words and more likely to adopt the French one due to their proximity to Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium.
The word order of some common expressions can be different. The Dutch say vast en zeker (surely!), whereas the Flemish opt for zeker en vast .
Speakers in the Netherlands and in Flanders also use pronouns differently, with a prominent example being the way of saying “your”, which is “uw” in Flanders and “jouw” in the Netherlands.
There are other small cultural differences that can trip up a translation if one is not careful in choosing a translator specific to the region being targeted:
- Flemish people are sticklers when it comes to hierarchies and will use surnames when addressing each other, whereas people in the Netherlands will immediately or quickly jump to a first-name basis.
- In-country payment methods that need to be taken into account when selling a product in either country are Bancontact in Belgium and iDEAL in the Netherlands.
- Sales (solden) in Belgium are by law only permitted two times per year, during set days in the months of January and July, whereas in Netherlands, although there is no law regulating the time periods when they are allowed, they tend to be in January, July, or August.
Reasons to Use Professional English Translation to Dutch Service
Besides the many reasons cited above, the Netherlands is home to important international institutions, such as the European Court of Human Rights, the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, all of which are located in The Hague. Moreover, the Port of Rotterdam is one of the largest harbors in the world, the main European entry point for merchandise from overseas. Therefore, either for business or official reasons, many people and legal entities need a Dutch translator for various documents.
Working with a professional agency is the best choice if you want to have your documents translated accurately and on time. We can handle even large volumes of translations with a tight deadline. We will assign the Dutch translation to English or English translations to Dutch to a translator or split them between several members of our team, so that you will get your translation on time.
We Guarantee Confidentiality for All Dutch Translation Services
Many legal or business documents contain sensitive information, such as trade secrets, personal data and financial details. In the world of Dutch translation services, confidentiality is just as important as accuracy.
When a translator works online handling Dutch translations, they comply with strict security protocols, ensuring that your confidential documents cannot get into the hands of unauthorized persons. You can only get such a guarantee of confidentiality from a professional agency, not from freelance translators on various job platforms.
Hire a Dedicated Local Dutch Translation Services Agency!
Pronto Translations relies on over 20 years of experience to provide Dutch translation and interpretation at the highest level of quality. We offer over 300 language pairs and have specialized translators who can provide localization services as well as certified translations.
We are located in New York, NY, but our Dutch translation services are also available in:
- Manhattan, NY
- Chelsea, NY
- Midtown, NY
- Soho, NY
- Greenwich Village, NY
- Hoboken, NJ
- Jersey City, NY
- …and anywhere worldwide.
Get in touch with us to hire an experienced Dutch translator!
