Esdoornblad Dutch Log

[tommus]

Esdoornblad is the Dutch word for maple leaf, the national symbol for Canada, as seen on our flag. So the title of my log symbolizes the friendship between Canada and Dutch-speaking people around the world.

My log is meant to focus my efforts to learn Dutch and to record the progress have made and that I hope to make. I estimate that my average ability in Dutch is about B2. I'm much better at reading but a bit weak in the other areas. I also hope to describe the various resources I am using to improve my Dutch, and to help explain the progress bars in my signature.

NOS Journaal 20:00
This is the eight o'clock evening news on TV in the Netherlands. I download it daily via a podcast and also download the sub-titles from the live feed. In my progress bars, I show half a year of daily episodes under Video Nieuws, and I watch every one.

http://www.npo.nl/nos-journaal-20-00/POMS_S_NOS_059928

De Telegraaf
This is the daily news on-line from the Netherlands. There are lots of other newspapers in the Netherlands but I have found De Telegraaf provides a good offering for a language learner. It has a good variety of local and world news in many short articles. I read it daily and record it in my progress bars under Tekst Nieuws.

http://www.telegraaf.nl/

Het Laatste Nieuws
This is the daily news from Flanders in Belgium. It is the second half of my daily news reading and record it together with De Telegraaf in my progress bars.

http://www.hln.be/

Dutch Books Read

01. De Muiterij op de Bounty - Nordhoff & Hall - (499p)
02. De Vernietiging van de Tirpitz - Thomas Gallagher (175p)
03. Michiel de Ruyter - Admiraal - (206p)
04. Man van Levkas - Hammond Innis (175p)
05. Vuurdoop op Zee - James Bassett (406p)
06. Donald Crowhurst Zijn Laatste Tocht - Tomalin & Hall (278p)
07. De Noordwestelijke Doorvaart - Roald Amundsen (232p)
08. Eeuwigheid-Martin Gorst (266p)
09. Met de Joshua Rond Cap Hoorn - B Moitessier (242p)
10. De Adelaar is Geland - Jack Higgins (318p)
11. Tussen Water en Vuur - Hammond Innes (306p)
12. Schipbreuk in de Poolzee - Hammond Innes (253p)
13. De Kleur van Leugens - T. Jefferson Parker (302p)
14. De Ondergang van de Mary Deare - Hammond Innes (273p)
15. Luchtbrug Berlijn - Hammond Innes (267p)
16. De Glans van Goud - Hammond Innes (272p)
17.De Gedoemde Oase - Hammond Innis (379p)
18. Het Solomons Mysterie - Hammond Innis (319p)
19. Dutch: Opstand der Georgiers - Dick van Reeuwuik (70p)
20. Een Kline Geschiedenis van Bijna Alles  - Bill Brison (500p)
21. De Reis om de Wereld in 80 Dagen - Jules Verne (226p) [+audiobook]
22. De Grijze Jager 1 (286p) [+audiobook]
23. De Monogram Moorden (320p) [+audiobook]

Dutch Books to Read

- Het Paard van Troje - Hammond Innis (253p)
- Poolbasis Zebra - Alistair MacLean (288p)
- De Nacht van de Generaals - Hans Hellmut Kirst (324p)
- Soldaat van Oranje 40-45 - Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema (288p)
- Het Verhaal Gaat -1 - Nico ter Linden (299p)
- Het Verhaal Gaat -4 - Nico ter Linden (269p)
- Een Brug Te Ver - Cornelius Ryan (491)
- De Jury - John Grisham (384p)
- De Liefdesval - Bernhard Schlink (288p)
- Hollands Glorie - Jan de Hartog (377p)
- De Stof Bracht de Geest Voort - Hoimar von Ditfurth (291p)
- De Zomer van 45 - Donck & Weisbrod (255p)
- Meneer Visser's Hellevaart - Simon Vestdijk (247p)
- De Eeuwigheid - Martin Gorst (285p)
- De Klokkenluider van de Notre-Dame - Victor Hugo (148p)
- Avonturen van Sherlock Holmes - Arther Conan Doyle (138p)
- Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (538p)
- Sumatra - Louis Zweers (149p)
- Met Vreemde Ogen - Rob Nieuwenhuys (192p)

[tommus]

Universeit van Nederland Videos

The best professors from the Netherlands give free lectures on the Internet. Each work day, a new lecture comes on line, and each week, a new professor

De beste hoogleraren van Nederland geven gratis college op internet. Elke werkdag komt er een nieuw college online, en elke week een nieuwe hoogleraar.

The main page shows current and recent topics, plus some explanations.

http://www.universiteitvannederland.nl

All lectures are also uploaded to YouTube where they are better organized, and appear in chronological order. You can download them in several different resolutions using You Tube download apps. As well, most have machine-generated sub-titles. They are not very accurate but often do very well.

https://www.youtube.com/user/UniversiteitvanNL/playlists

The lectures are about 15-17 minutes each. There are 5 per week on the same general topic. So far in 2014/2015, there have been about 318 lectures on 66 different topics.

The following list shows the topics. The number "-5" indicates there are 5 lectures in this topic. Sometimes this number can be lower if all 5 have not yet been posted. The numbers -12345 indicate which lectures I have watched so far in that topic. So far, I have watched about 62 of these lectures. I'll update this list from time to time.

Biologie-5-12345
Biomechanica-5-12345
Conflict en Veiligheid-5-12345
Criminologie-5-12345
Culturele Sociologie-5
DNA-5-1
Ecologie-5
Economie-5
Elementaire Deeltjesfysica-5-123
Entomologie-5
Evolutiebiologie-5
Filmwetenschappen-5
Filosophie-5
Forensische Biofysica-5
Fysiologie-5-12345
Geneeskunde-5-1
Geschiedenis-5
Gezichten-5
Gouden Eeuw-5-5
Informatica-5-1
Internationale Communicatie-5
Journalistiek-5
Kanker-5
Kindergeneeskunde-5
Klinische Farmacologie-5
Kunstgeschiedenis-5
Kunstmatige weefselweek-5
Kwantumcomputers-5-123
Kwantummechanica-5-12345
Letterkunde-5
Lucht- en ruimtevaarttechniek-5-1
Membraantechnologie-5
Midden-Oosten-5
Muziekcognitie-5
Natuurkunde-5-12345
Neuropsychologie-5
Neurowetenschappen-5
Noordzee-5-12345
Organisatiepsychologie-5
Planeetonderzoek-5
Planeetwetenschappen-5-12345
Plantenfysiologie-5
Populaire Cultuur-5
Psychiatrie-5
Recht & Religie-5
Recht-du Perron-5
Recht-Schutgens-5
Retorica-5
Robotica-5-12345
Romeinse Rijk-5
Rusland-5
Scheikunde-5
Sociale Psychologie-5
Sociologie-5
Stadsjungle-5
Statistiek-5
Sterrenkunde-5-12345
Taalsociologie-5
Verenigde Staten-5
Vestibulogie-5
Virtual Reality-5-12
Wetenschapsfilosofie-5

[tommus]

Europa Videos: 1900 - 1992

This series of 35 Dutch videos looks at the wars and the history of European countries and their wars, turmoils and development for most of the 20th century. They are narrated in Dutch by Renaat Van Poelvoorde but quite often there are other European languages. Very multilingual. The first one is at the You Tube link below. Search for the others under the names and dates shown, together with "Renaat Van Poelvoorde". Most can be downloaded with You Tube download apps. A few may require video screen capture apps. Some have sub-titles. They are usually 30 minutes or more. So far, I have watched 6 of these videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLAls1H_yik

001-1900 - Dawn of the Century.avi
002-1906 - Berlijn en Wenen.avi
003-1914 - Wenen & Sarajevo.avi
004-1915 - Ieper.mp4
005-1916 - De Somme.mp4
006-1917 - Frankrijk.mp4
007-1917 - Rusland.mp4
008-1922 - Berlijn.mp4
009-1925 - Pradappio Italië.mp4
010-1929 - Berlijn.mp4
011-1933 - Rusland.mp4
012-1936 - Spanje.mp4
013-1937 - Munchen.mp4
014-1939 - Duitsland.mp4
015-1940 - Frankrijk.mp4
016-1942 - Duitsland.mp4
017-1943 - Stalingrad.mp4
018-1943 - Polen.mp4
019-1944 - Warschau en Praag.mp4
020-1945 - Duitsland en Rusland.mp4
021-1945 - Joegoslavië.mp4
022-1946 - Israel en Europa.mp4
023-1948 - Tsjechië.mp4
024-1950 - Europa.mp4
025-1956 - Hongarije.mp4
026-1958 - Frankrijk en Algerije.mp4
027-1961 - DDR - Part A.mp4
027-1961 - DDR - Part B.mp4
027-1961 - DDR - Part C.mp4
028-1968 - Amsterdam Parijs en Berlijn.mp4
029-1974 - Portugal - Part A.mp4
029-1974 - Portugal - Part B.mp4
029-1974 - Portugal - Part C.mp4
030-1942 - Duitsland.mp4
031-1984 - Engeland Part A.mp4
031-1984 - Engeland Part B.mp4
031-1984 - Engeland Part C.mp4
032-1986 - Tsjernobyl - Part A.mp4
032-1986 - Tsjernobyl - Part B.mp4
032-1986 - Tsjernobyl - Part C.mp4
033-1989 - Roemenië - Part A.mp4
033-1989 - Roemenië - Part B.mp4
033-1989 - Roemenië - Part C.mp4
034-1991 - Sovjet-Unie - Part A.mp4
034-1991 - Sovjet-Unie - Part B.mp4
034-1991 - Sovjet-Unie - Part C.mp4
035-1992 - Bosnië en De Waarheid - Part A.mp4
035-1992 - Bosnië en De Waarheid - Part B.mp4
035-1992 - Bosnië en De Waarheid - Part C.mp4

[tommus]

Dutch Language Films on You Tube

Various films, and short series of films on You Tube. Many are long; one to two hours. Search for the names. They can be downloaded with You Tube download apps. Here is a link to the first one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUQm3UbKxRI

De Aanslag 1986.mp4
Brandende Liefde 1983.mp4
BRT - MAURICE DE WILDE - DE VERDACHTEN.mp4
De IJssalon Film 1985.mp4
De Overval 1962 FILM.mp4
De Slag om de Grebbeberg 1940.mp4
De Storm 1953, hele film 2009.mp4
De vierde man 1983.mp4
De zusjes Kriegel - De film.mp4
Film de Punt 2009.mp4
Flodder Film 12 Flodder 1.mp4
Hector de Volledige film..mp4
Help De Dokter Verzuipt 1974.mp4
Het Bittere Kruid 1985.mp4
Het Gezin Van Paemel.mp4
Het Meisje Met Het Rode Haar 1981.mp4
Het Verzet De losse eindjes.mp4
Het Verzet - Deel 1 van 8 De Kerk in het midden.mp4
Het Verzet - Deel 2 van 8 De terugkeer van het verleden.mp4
Het Verzet - Deel 3 van 8 De vrijmetselarij.mp4
Het Verzet - Deel 4 van 8 Tussen hamer en sikkel.mp4
Het Verzet - Deel 5 van 8 Op zoek naar een eenheidsfront.mp4
Het Verzet - Deel 6 van 8 Vechten om te overleven (Joden en Verzet).mp4
Het Verzet - Deel 7 van 8 De guerilla van de partizanen.mp4
Het Verzet - Deel 8 van 8 De vergeten burgeroorlog.mp4
Kassablanke - De Film - 2002 - 720p.mp4
KZ - Deel 1 van 7.mp4
KZ - Deel 2 van 7.mp4
KZ - Deel 3 van 7.mp4
KZ - Deel 4 van 7.mp4
KZ - Deel 5 van 7.mp4
KZ - Deel 6 van 7.mp4
KZ - Deel 7 van 7.mp4
Maurice De Wilde De Verdachten (Episode 1 of 4).mp4
Maurice De Wilde De Verdachten (Episode 2 of 4).mp4
Maurice De Wilde De Verdachten (Episode 4 of 4).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Collaboratie (Episode 1 of 14).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Collaboratie (Episode 11 of 14).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Collaboratie (Episode 12 of 14).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Collaboratie (Episode 13 of 14).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Collaboratie (Episode 14 of 14).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Collaboratie (Episode 3 of 14).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Collaboratie (Episode 4 of 14).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Nieuwe Orde (Episode 8A of 17).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Oostfronters (Episode 2 of 7).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Oostfronters (Episode 3 of 7).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Oostfronters (Episode 4 of 7).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Oostfronters (Episode 5 of 7).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Oostfronters (Episode 6 of 7).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Oostfronters (Episode 7 of 7).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Tijd der Vergelding (Episode 1 of 8).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Tijd der Vergelding (Episode 3 of 8).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Tijd Der Vergelding (Episode 4 of 8).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Tijd der Vergelding (Episode 5 of 8).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Tijd der Vergelding (Episode 6 of 8).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Tijd der Vergelding (Episode 7 of 8).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - De Tijd Der Vergelding (Episode 8 of 8).mp4
Maurice De Wilde - DEBAT - De Collaboratie Episode 1.mp4
Maurice De Wilde - DEBAT - De Collaboratie Episode 2.mp4
Maurice De Wilde - DEBAT - De Collaboratie Part 8.mp4
Maurice De Wilde - DEBAT- De Collaboratie Episode 6.mp4
Mijn nachten met Susan, Olga, Albert, Julie, Piet & Sandra.mp4
Nacht zonder zegen (1978) Nederlandse film.mp4
Oostfront.mp4
Te Gek om Los te Lopen (Film)(1981).mp4
TUIG Haagshe Film.mp4
Volle Maan Film.mp4
Wat zien ik 1971.mp4
Wildschut 1985 a.k.a. stronghold.mp4
Witse S03E01 De Perfecte Moord.mp4

[tommus]

How to to capture and download closed captions for NOS Journaal news videos, and other CC Flash videos

(I previously posted this technique on HTLAL)

After years of struggle to capture and download closed captions, I have discovered an
excellent new method for CC download from online Flash videos. So far I have only used
it on Dutch sources but it should work for similar online Flash videos in other
languages.

And so far, I have only managed to use it in Firefox on Windows 7, and could not get it to
work on Chrome. This is a work in progress but I thought others would want to try this
new method right away.

1. Install the Adblock Plus extension to Firefox. (not Adblock, but Adblock Plus).

2. Open a video such as the NOS Journaal news (or other Dutch CC programs on
"http://www.uitzendinggemist.nl").

http://uitzendinggemist.net/programmas/321-NOS_Journaal_2000.html

3. The red Adblock Plus (ABP) icon will appear on the Firefox extensions taskbar.

4. Click the down arrow on the ABP icon.

5. Click on "Open blockable items".

6. The URL of the closed captions will be one of these many blockable items. For these
Dutch videos, the URL will look like this: http://e.omroep.nl/tt888/POW_00942224. Note
the "tt888" part which means closed captions. On other sites, you will have to search
the blockable items for the closed caption URL.

7. Right click on that URL and select "Open in New Tab", and then "Save File".

8. Add .txt or .srt to the filename.

9. It downloads the entire closed captions file as a .srt text file.

10. I then strip out the times, etc from the .srt file to make it a plain text file. I
also save a copy as an HTML file so I can use pop-up dictionaries.

That's it! Maybe it looks complicated but it is actually very simple. So you can use this for many (maybe most) of the subtitled Dutch programs on Uitzendinggemist.

[tommus]

Intensive Study of NOS Journaal - 03 October 2015

Because most of the news these days is controversial, political, nationalistic and reports on hot-button topics, much of it is not suitable to discuss on a neutral language forum. But I'll pick a few sentences from NOS Journaal and translate them from Dutch to English. I'll try to address any grammar and new words that might be useful. We'll see how this works. Assistance from native Dutch speakers would be welcome.
.....
Reddingswerkers in Guatemala zoeken naar honderden vermisten na een aardverschuiving.
Rescue workers in Guatemala look for hundreds of the missing after a landslide.

Note that "honderden vermisten" doesn't translate word for word, so this Dutch expression needs to be noted Instead of "aardverschuiving", a related Dutch word "modderstroom (mudslide)" could have been used because it was caused by heavy rainfall.
.....
Van 30 mensen is zeker dat ze zijn omgekomen.
Thirty people are confirmed to have died.

Anglophones would not think of starting this sentence with "van", so that form should be noted. Like in any language, there are many ways to say that people died. "omgekomen" is the most common way in Dutch. Note that it is a separable verb and is often written like this: "Zeker 30 mensen zijn om het leven gekomen". Conjunctions like dat and omdat send the verb to the end. In this case, I expect (Native Dutch speakers could comment) that the two verbs would be sent to the end in a sentence like this: "Van 30 mensen is zeker dat ze in Guatemala zijn omgekomen."
.....
Aan de rand van de hoofdstad Guatemala-Stad werd een hele wijk zo goed als weggevaagd.
On the edge (or outskirts) of the capital Guatemala City was the whole neighbourhood virtually wiped away. "zo good als" could have been translated literally as "so good as" but that is a bit awkward in English. So "zo goed als" is worth noting for our active Dutch. Other related Dutch words would be virtueel, nagenoeg, bijna and practisch.
.....
Hier stonden een paar dagen geleden nog tientallen woningen.
A few days ago, tens of homes stood here.

The main point here is the word order which is well worth noting. Also note that "paar" does not just mean a pair or a couple, but more commonly "a few" or "several". In English, we usually say dozens instead of tens. The Dutch do use dozens but very rarely, in my experience. Note also "nog" meaning yet or still. It is frequently used. But in English, we don't use it quite so much. But we could say "There were dozens of homes still standing", but not as likely to say "dozens of homes still stood here" because it sounds a bit redundant in this situation.
.....
En zijn honderden reddingswerkers sinds vrijdag wanhopig op zoek naar overlevenden.
And hundreds of rescue workers have since Friday hopelessly been looking for survivors.

Word order in English could vary here. It is more rigid in Dutch.
.....
Het lijkt een onmogelijke opgave.
It appears to be an impossible task.
It seems like an impossible task.
.....

[tommus]

Intensive Study of NOS Journaal - 04 October 2015

Here is a short item about birds in paintings at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The Dutch here is quite straight forward and easy to translate, with not much of special interest to note.
.....
Vogelaars zijn vandaag aan de slag gegaan in het Rijksmuseum.
Birdwatchers have today gone to work in the Rijksmuseum. "aan de slag gegaan" appears a bit strange to an Anglophone for it to mean "getting on with the work required", or "on the job". "de slag" literally means "the hit" or "the battle".

The ending "aars" is often used in Dutch to depict practitioners of something. The Dutch use zijn (to be) with gaan for the past tense whereas in English, we say have gone. That is a challenge in active Dutch.
.....
Het museum wil graag weten wat voor vogels er staan op schilderijen en prenten.
The museum wants to know what kind of birds are included in paintings and prints.

"graag" adds a bit more emphasis than simply "wants to know", so it could also be "wants very much to know". "wat voor" is often used for "what kind of" instead of "welke soort" which would be closer to literal English. And things "staan op" (stand up) in situations where they are not really standing.
.....
Is het een echte of is-ie ontsproten uit het brein van de kunstenaar?
Is it real or did it spring out of the brain of the artist?

I can't really explain why "het" changes to "ie", and why the hyphen is used. Note that "uit" is not followed by "van".
.....
De vogelaars bestuderen de vogels op computerschermen.
The birdwatchers study the birds on computer screens.
.....
Zo kunnen ze de beesten precies bekijken.
So they can see the animals precisely.

Note word order after "zo" with "bekijken" going to the end of the sentence.
.....
En hopelijk ook vertellen welke vogel te zien is.
And hopefully also tell which bird can be seen.
.....
Voor kunsthistorici is dat van belang.
That is important for art historians.
For art historians, that is important.

The Dutch don't like commas very much. Maybe that explains some word orders.
.....
omdat ze dan meer te weten komen over het schilderij.
because they learn more about the painting.

I would have tended to push "te weten komen" to the end of the sentence because of the "omdat", making it "omdat ze dan meer over het schilderij te weten komen." I don't know just what would be right here. Maybe it would be optional.
.....

[hagestolz]

I have just joined the forum today and was looking around for inspiration when I came across your postings. Thank you so much for sharing these excellent ideas with the community and you have fired my imagination as I begin my journey to learn Dutch.

[tommus]

... as I begin my journey to learn Dutch.

Hello hagestolz, welcome to the Forum. It is nice to see that you are learning Dutch. We could use more Dutch learners here.

I have been neglecting this thread on the Forum. I post Dutch questions on another thread that might interest you.

Questions about Dutch sentences

[Tristano]

Disclaimer: I wrote the English version first and discovered that I have no idea how to translate faithfully in Dutch. Because of that, I will just write the same concepts in another way.
--

Hi, wat leuk om een andere student van het Nederlands te vinden! Ik vind het knap dat je zo veel boeken hebt gelezen! Dat heb ik mezelf niet gedaan. Trouwens, heb ik in een andere manier mijn eigen weg gevonden die me helpt met het leren van de taal. Ik woon inderdaad in Nederland en ik heb een Nederlandse vriendin (met wie ik spreek zonder een goede motivatie bijna altijd in het Engels) en een Nederlandse baby ik werk ook voor een Nederlandse bedrijf dus Nederlands is de taal die ik samen met Engels (ook niet mijn moedertaal) de meest spreek.

Weet je dat zeker dat je alleen b2 bent?
--
Hi, nice to see another Dutch learner on the forum. I didn't quite read the same amount of books that you read but instead I get exposure by living in the country and guaranteed myself perpetual exposure by having a Dutch baby (and girlfriend with whom I unexplainably talk in English)
I also work in a Dutch company so Dutch is my most used language, together with English (which also isn't my first language).
Are you sure you're only b2?