Learning Basic Flemish

Hello!

I wil be travelling to Belgium (primarily the Flanders region) in a
few months and was wondering if there is a good guide to learn some
Flemish before I get there. I know Flemish is closely related to
Dutch so would a Dutch guide be all I needed? I am aware that most of
the Flemish speak English (I've been before) but would like to learn a
few basics just for the sake of being polite.

Thanks,

Heath

> If you manage to say something in Flemish, the reply will be in
> English anyway.

Um, yeah, I said that. Thanks for answering none of my questions...

On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:57:57 -0700, hrbintliffm wrote:

>
>> If you manage to say something in Flemish, the reply will be in
>> English anyway.
>
>Um, yeah, I said that. Thanks for answering none of my questions...

The answer is quite often in German.
--

Martin

<hrbintliffm> wrote in message
news:1185372936.365578.206190@q75g2000hsh. o...

> I know Flemish is closely related to
> Dutch so would a Dutch guide be all I needed?

Pretty much, yes. "Standard" Flemish is so close to "Algemeen
Nederlands" (Dutch) that if you learn Dutch reasonably well, you'll
be understood in Flemish Belgium just fine.
--
dgs

On Wed, 25 Jul 2007, hrbintliff wrote:

> I wil be travelling to Belgium (primarily the Flanders region) in a
> few months and was wondering if there is a good guide to learn some
> Flemish before I get there.

If you're willing to buy an actual book, I can recommend "Dutch for
self-study" by van Kampen and Stumpel.

--
Yves Bellefeuille
<yan@storm.ca>

On Jul 25, 6:36 pm, Keith Anderson <ke...@> wrote:
> On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:15:36 -0700, hrbintl...m wrote:
> >Hello!
>
> >I wil be travelling to Belgium (primarily the Flanders region) in a
> >few months and was wondering if there is a good guide to learn some
> >Flemish before I get there. I know Flemish is closely related to
> >Dutch so would a Dutch guide be all I needed? I am aware that most of
> >the Flemish speak English (I've been before) but would like to learn a
> >few basics just for the sake of being polite.
>
> And any effort made will be much appreciated by the locals.
>
> A Dutch guide will be fine. Dutch is one of the official languages of
> Belgium - "Flemish" isn't.
>
> Like British English/American English; German German/Austrian German,
> Portugese Portugese/Brazilian Portugese there are differences with
> pronunciaton and sometimes with grammar between Dutch Dutch and
> Belgian Dutch but learn a bit of Dutch and you'll be fine. And there
> are some great accents in Belgium like "Brugs" from Brugge and
> "Oostands" from Oostende.
>
> Have fun!
>
> Keith, Bristol, UK

Thanks for the help! That's all I needed to know...

On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:10:14 -0700, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
<evgmsop@> wrote:

>
>
>'Double Shirly' Jock McShirly the Mannie Trannie wrote:
>
>> On 25 Jul, 15:15, hrbintl...m wrote:
>>
>>>Hello!
>>>
>>>I wil be travelling to Belgium (primarily the Flanders region) in a
>>>few months and was wondering if there is a good guide to learn some
>>>Flemish before I get there. I know Flemish is closely related to
>>>Dutch so would a Dutch guide be all I needed? I am aware that most of
>>>the Flemish speak English (I've been before) but would like to learn a
>>>few basics just for the sake of being polite.
>
>I don't think they even PUBLISH a Flemish dictionary in the
>U.S.! I had to make do with Dutch, which seemed to work
>just fine. I tried to listen to the person I wished to
>speak with, first, then address them in the language they
>had been speaking. As you say, most are likely to speak
>some English, but I found that, if in doubt, it was better
>to address native Belgians in English, rather than French.
>(Some of the Flemish citizens are a bit touchy about people
>simply assuming Belgium is French-speaking.)

OTOH Walloons are touchy about Flemish speakers.
--

Martin

On Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:53:21 -0700, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
<evgmsop@> wrote:

>
>
>Martin wrote:
>> On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:10:14 -0700, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
>> <evgmsop@> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>
>>>'Double Shirly' Jock McShirly the Mannie Trannie wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>On 25 Jul, 15:15, hrbintl...m wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Hello!
>>>>>
>>>>>I wil be travelling to Belgium (primarily the Flanders region) in a
>>>>>few months and was wondering if there is a good guide to learn some
>>>>>Flemish before I get there. I know Flemish is closely related to
>>>>>Dutch so would a Dutch guide be all I needed? I am aware that most of
>>>>>the Flemish speak English (I've been before) but would like to learn a
>>>>>few basics just for the sake of being polite.
>>>
>>>I don't think they even PUBLISH a Flemish dictionary in the
>>>U.S.! I had to make do with Dutch, which seemed to work
>>>just fine. I tried to listen to the person I wished to
>>>speak with, first, then address them in the language they
>>>had been speaking. As you say, most are likely to speak
>>>some English, but I found that, if in doubt, it was better
>>>to address native Belgians in English, rather than French.
>>>(Some of the Flemish citizens are a bit touchy about people
>>>simply assuming Belgium is French-speaking.)
>>
>>
>> OTOH Walloons are touchy about Flemish speakers.
>
>That's why, when in doubt, I use English! (Belgians don't
>seem to share the French aversion to tourists who address
>them in English.)

I think you confuse language with nationality? Some French have an aversion to
Americans.
--

Martin

I have been told that Dutch and Flemish are similar but not equal, but a
Dutchman will be understood in Belgium and vice versa.

It probably can be likened to the Austrian version of German. It is
understood in Germany but the choice of words is somewhat different and
occasionally you have a good laugh.