Dutchman
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Dutchman
A colloquial but widely used term for a male resident of the Netherlands. Strictly speaking, it refers only to a person from the provinces of North or South Holland.
Unser neuer Kollege ist Holländer und spricht perfekt Deutsch.
Our new colleague is Dutch and speaks perfect German.
The word 'Holländer' (Dutchman) is derived directly from the region 'Holland' in the Netherlands. The ending '-änder' is also used with other nationalities derived from the name of a country.
Er kommt aus Amsterdam, also ist er Holländer.
He comes from Amsterdam, so he is Dutch.
'Der Holländer' (the Dutchman) belongs to the N-declension. This means it takes the ending '-n' in the accusative, dative, and genitive singular. This is a common mistake among learners.
Ich habe gestern mit dem Holländer gesprochen.
I spoke with the Dutchman yesterday.
Although 'Holländer' (Dutchman) is often used for all people from the Netherlands, it is a colloquial and geographically imprecise term. However, it is very common in everyday language and is usually meant neutrally.
Im Urlaub haben wir viele nette Holländer kennengelernt.
On vacation, we met many nice Dutch people.
The term 'der fliegende Holländer' (the Flying Dutchman) is a fixed expression from a famous sailors' legend. The word 'fliegende' (flying) is always included here.
Richard Wagner hat eine berühmte Oper über den fliegenden Holländer geschrieben.
Richard Wagner wrote a famous opera about the Flying Dutchman.
When 'Holländer' (Dutch windmill) is used in connection with architecture, landscape, or technology, it usually means a windmill. Watch for words like 'Mühle' (mill), 'Wind' (wind), or 'Feld' (field).
Die Gemeinde will den alten Holländer restaurieren lassen.
The municipality wants to have the old Dutch windmill restored.
Dutchman
'Niederländer' and 'Holländer' can both mean a male person from the Netherlands. 'Niederländer' is the precise and neutral term for someone from the country of the Netherlands. 'Holländer' is often used this way in everyday language too, but strictly speaking it is not completely precise because Holland is only part of the Netherlands. The words are easy to confuse because many people say 'Holland' for the whole country. In official or precise situations, 'Niederländer' is better; in casual conversation, you often hear 'Holländer'.
Mein Nachbar nennt seinen Freund aus Amsterdam oft den Holländer.
My neighbor often calls his friend from Amsterdam the Dutchman.
Im Zug saß ich neben einem Niederländer, der sehr gut Deutsch sprach.
On the train, I sat next to a Dutchman who spoke German very well.