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11 Reasons Why You Should Date a Dutch Person

Tulip fields in the Netherlands
Tulip fields in the Netherlands | © pixabay

Have you ever wandered whether you would click with a Dutch person? Or thought about pursuing someone from the Netherlands? Then read on to discover eleven common traits associated with Dutch suitors, sweethearts and partners.

They speak excellent English

If you’re an English speaker you probably won’t have a problem flirting in the Netherlands. Around 72% of the population speak English fluently and Dutch people tend to enjoy practising their language skills with foreigners.

They can teach you Dutch

While it might seem obvious, it is worth pointing out that Dutch people can teach you their native language. It is actually surprisingly hard to learn Dutch in the Netherlands as locals tend to rely entirely on English when speaking with foreigners. But after bagging a Dutch suitor, you’ll be able to practise the local lingo without reverting back to English.

Learning Dutch gets much easier when you have someone to practise with

And after learning Dutch you’ll have a secret language

There are only around 22 million Dutch speakers worldwide and it is pretty rare for people outside of the Netherlands, Belgium or Suriname to understand the language at all – which means that you and you’re boyfriend or girlfriend will be able to communicate incognito when abroad.

Dutch people appreciate geography

Due to the Netherlands’ notorious flatness, Dutch people have to travel abroad to experience cliffs, mountains or even hills, and if you end up taking your partner back home, they’ll probably think your homeland’s natural geography is extremely exotic.

A typical, flat Dutch landscape

You’ll get to celebrate Sinterklaasavond and Christmas

As the Dutch tend to organise family meals and gift-giving on 5th December during Sinterklaasavonds, but also understand Christmas’ significance abroad, it is likely that you’ll receive two sets of presents over the festive season.

They are really, really tall

According to recent studies the Netherlands is the tallest nation on Earth. While this isn’t a factor for everyone, if you’re into to tall men or women you’ve come to the right place!

They are good with bicycles

Basically everyone in the Netherlands travels by bike and it is pretty common for Dutch people to know how to repair their rides. So if you’re ever in a pickle with your bicycle, you’ll be able to rely on your boo for help and advice.

Dutch people are pretty handy with bikes

They aren’t fussy eaters…

If you’re dating a Dutch person, it is quite likely that they grew up eating heavy helpings of mash potato, cheese and meat. Although this kind of heavy diet might seem rather uncultured to foreigners, it means that Dutch people aren’t particularly fussy about food and will gladly wolf down anything that contains the three aforementioned ingredients.

But appreciate good food

Despite its reputation abroad, Dutch home cooking is actually incredibly delicious and will almost certainly appeal to anyone that appreciates hearty, simple meals. If you’re date ever offers to cook for you, make sure to ask for stamppot – you won’t be disappointed.

Delicious stammpot

They don’t beat around the bush

Dutch people often claim that they – and their compatriots – are considerably more blunt than other nationalities. While this might seem rude at first, it can be quite refreshing to hear what dates are actually thinking, rather than having to coax it out of them.

They have a special, untranslatable word for cosiness, comfort and amiability

The Dutch word gezellighied represents a speaker’s personal understanding of enjoyment, cosiness and comfort. Dutch people tend to measure situations according to this concept and understand the importance of relaxation and downtime.

Dutch people have a special word for cosy, relaxing situations and gatherings

About the author

Tom Coggins writes about culture and travel. He'd really like to own a dog someday.

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