Vriend of Vriendin? Dutch is interesting!

Language learning is an adventure full of surprises, and Dutch has been no exception for me. During a casual conversation in class yesterday, I stumbled upon an amusing linguistic quirk that left me both puzzled and entertained.

Here’s what happened:

💬 Classmate A: Hoe oefen je Nederlands??
(How do you practice your Dutch?)

🧑‍🎓 Me: Ik oefen Nederlands met mijn vrienden.
(I practice it with my friends.)

👩‍🎓 Classmate B: Een man of een vrouw?
(A man or a woman?)

🤔 Me: They are just my friends. Why does the gender matter?

💡 Classmate B: Ah, but in Dutch, “vriend” or “vriendin” often means boyfriend or girlfriend!


Curious about this, I asked our teacher:
👩‍🏫 Me: Is there any way to express a “normal friend”?

Our teacher, a very kind lady, paused to think. After a moment, she smiled and said:
“Emm, good question. But no, there is no ‘normal friend’ in Dutch. When we say ‘vriend’ or ‘vriendin,’ it usually refers to romantic relationships. 😊”


This little exchange made me realize just how fascinating and nuanced languages can be. 🧠✨ As a learner, these moments of cultural insight are both challenging and rewarding. 🌍✍️

Update:
My local colleague explained that using the plural form “vrienden” is perfectly fine and simply means “friends.” However, using “mijn vriend” or “mijn vriendin” typically implies a romantic relationship.

Author

Sai (Emily) Peng

Posted on

2025-01-10

Updated on

2025-05-19

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