[I wrote this post back in January 2015, but I keep it updated each time I learn something new! I will add sailing terms soon!]
While I consider myself a fairly fluent Dutch (/Flemish) speaker, I was surprised at my limited kayaking vocabulary when I first joined the Windhappers kayaking club last September. It's hard to convince someone that you're a competent paddler when they ask you if you know how to do a boogslag (sweep stroke) and you return a blank stare. In the same vein, many of the otherwise-fluent English speakers did not recognize the English terms that I offered up in an effort to reach a mutual understanding.
So, to shrink this gap in communication for myself and anyone else in the same boot, I put together this list of common kayaking and canoeing terms. A big thanks to Tim, Leon, Sytse, Eric, and Jan of the Windhappers for helping me translate the more challenging words. It's a work in progress. Please contact me if you find an error or have suggested additions. Click Read More to see the list of terms!
While I consider myself a fairly fluent Dutch (/Flemish) speaker, I was surprised at my limited kayaking vocabulary when I first joined the Windhappers kayaking club last September. It's hard to convince someone that you're a competent paddler when they ask you if you know how to do a boogslag (sweep stroke) and you return a blank stare. In the same vein, many of the otherwise-fluent English speakers did not recognize the English terms that I offered up in an effort to reach a mutual understanding.
So, to shrink this gap in communication for myself and anyone else in the same boot, I put together this list of common kayaking and canoeing terms. A big thanks to Tim, Leon, Sytse, Eric, and Jan of the Windhappers for helping me translate the more challenging words. It's a work in progress. Please contact me if you find an error or have suggested additions. Click Read More to see the list of terms!
You'll notice that most of the Dutch ("Nederlands" in Dutch) terms include a "het" of "de". In Dutch, masculine and feminine words are preceded by "de" while neuter words are preceded by "het". While there is general guidance for knowing when to use de vs. het, even native Dutch speakers forget for less common vocabulary.
If you're looking for something specific, use CTRL-F to search. If you don't find what you're looking for, comment below and I'll add it!
If you're looking for something specific, use CTRL-F to search. If you don't find what you're looking for, comment below and I'll add it!
English-Dutch kayaking and canoeing dictionary
Engels-Nederlands kajakken en kanoën woordenlijst
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