Amsterdam Directions Read online

  Gay and lesbian Amsterdam

  Gay & Lesbian Switchboard; tel 020/623 6565, www.switchboard.nl (daily 2–10pm). For reviews of gay venues in the city, see the listings sections of each chapter.

  Consulates

  UK, Koningslaan 44, tel 020/676 4343; USA, Museumplein 19, tel 020/575 5309.

  Doctors/dentists

  Your hotel or the VVV should be able to provide the address of an English-speaking doctor or dentist if you need one.

  Electricity

  220v AC – effectively the same as British, although with round two- (or occasionally three-) pin plugs. British equipment will need either an adaptor or a new plug; American requires both a transformer and a new plug.

  Emergencies

  Police, fire service and ambulance; tel 112

  Football

  Ajax Amsterdam ArenA stadium,; tel 020/311 1444, www.ajax.nl, metro Bijlmer; Feyenoord Rotterdam Olympiaweg 50, Rotterdam; tel 010/292 3888, www.feyenoord.nl.

  Left luggage

  Centraal Station (daily 7am–11pm). Small coin-operated lockers cost €3.50, the larger ones €5.50 per 24 hours; left luggage costs €8 per item.

  Mosquitoes

  These thrive in Holland’s watery environment and are at their worst, as you would expect, near any stagnant or slow-moving stretch of water. Muggenmelk, with DEET, is very powerful: a little smear will keep them well away for a good night’s sleep. Other popular brands include the Autan range. For more sensitive skins, Prrrikweg contains pungent citronella oil. After the event, an antihistamine cream such as Phenergan helps. All these and more are available all over Amsterdam.

  Pharmacies

  You’ll need an apotheek (usually Mon–Fri 9am–6pm, but may be closed Mon mornings) for minor ailments or to get a prescription filled. A complete list – with many opening hours – can be found in the city’s yellow pages under "Apotheken". Most of the better hotels will be able to assist too.

  Police

  Headquarters are at Elandsgracht 117 (tel 559 9111).

  Tipping

  There’s no necessity to tip, but a ten- to fifteen-percent tip is expected by taxi drivers and anticipated by many restaurant waiters.

  Yellow pages

  The city’s yellow pages are online at www.goudengids.nl.

  Language

  Dutch

  It’s unlikely that you’ll need to speak anything other than English while you’re in Amsterdam; the Dutch have a seemingly natural talent for languages, and your attempts at speaking theirs may be met with some bewilderment – though this can have as much to do with your pronunciation (Dutch is very difficult to get right) as their surprise that you’re making an effort. Outside Amsterdam, people aren’t quite as cosmopolitan, but even so the following Dutch words and phrases should be the most you’ll need to get by. We’ve also included a basic food and drink glossary, though menus are nearly always multilingual, and where they aren’t, ask and one will almost invariably appear.

  Pronunciation

  Dutch is pronounced much the same as English. However, there are a few Dutch sounds that don’t exist in English, which can be difficult to pronounce without practice.

  v like the English f in far

  w like the v in vat

  j like the initial sound of yellow

  ch and g are considerably harder than in English, enunciated much further back in the throat

  ng is as in bring

  nj as in onion

  a is like the English apple

  aa like cart

  e like let

  ee like late

  o as in pop

  oo in pope

  u is like the French tuif preceded by a consonant; it’s like wood if followed by a consonant

  uu the French tu

  au and ou like how

  ei and ij as in fine

  oe as in soon

  eu is like the diphthong in the French leur

  ui is the hardest Dutch diphthong of all, pronounced like howbut much further forward in the mouth, with lips pursed (as if to say "oo")

  Words and phrases

  Basics and greetings

  English

  Dutch

  yes

  ja

  no

  nee

  Please

  alstublieft

  (no) thank you

  (nee) dank u or bedankt

  hello

  hallo or dag

  good morning

  goedemorgen

  good afternoon

  goedemiddag

  good evening

  goedenavond

  goodbye

  tot ziens

  see you later

  tot straks

  do you speak English?

  spreekt u Engels?

  I don’t understand

  Ik begrijp het niet

  women/men

  vrouwen/mannen

  children

  kinderen

  push/pull

  duwen/trekken

  Getting around

  how do I get to… ?

  hoe kom ik in… ?

  where is… ?

  waar is… ?

  how far is it to… ?

  hoe ver is het naar… ?

  when?

  wanneer?

  far/near

  ver/dichtbij

  left/right

  links/rechts

  straight ahead

  rechtuit gaan

  here/there

  hier/daar

  Ordering, shopping and money

  I want…

  Ik wil…

  I don’t want…

  Ik wil niet… (+verb)

  Ik wil geen…(+noun)

  how much is… ?

  wat kost… ?

  post office

  postkantoor

  stamp(s)

  postzegel(s)

  money exchange

  geldwisselkantoor

  cash desk

  kassa

  good/bad

  goed/slecht

  big/small

  groot/klein

  new/old

  nieuw/oud

  cheap/expensive

  goedkoop/duur

  hot/cold

  heet or warm/koud

  with/without

  met/zonder

  Days of the week

  Monday

  Maandag

  Tuesday

  Dinsdag

  Wednesday

  Woensdag

  Thursday

  Donderdag

  Friday

  Vrijdag

  Saturday

  Zaterdag

  Sunday

  Zondag

  yesterday

  gisteren

  today

  vandaag

  tomorrow

  morgen

  tomorrow morning

  morgenochtend

  year

  jaar

  month

  maand

  week

  week

  day

  dag

  Numbers

  0

  nul

  1

  een

  2

  twee

  3

  drie

  4

  vier

  5

  vijf

  6

  zes

  7

  zeven

  8

  acht

  9

  negen

  10

  tien

  11

  elf

  12

  twaalf

  13

  dertien

  14

  veertien

  15

  vijftien

  16

  zestien

  17

  zeventien

  18

  achttien

  19

  negentien

  20

  twintig

  21

&
nbsp; een en twintig

  22

  twee en twintig

  30

  dertig

  40

  veertig

  50

  vijftig

  60

  zestig

  70

  zeventig

  80

  tachtig

  90

  negentig

  100

  honderd

  101

  honderd een

  200

  twee honderd

  201

  twee honderd een

  500

  vijf honderd

  1000

  duizend

  Food and drink terms

  Basics

  Dutch

  English

  boter

  butter

  boterham/broodje

  sandwich/roll

  brood

  bread

  dranken

  drinks

  eieren

  eggs

  gerst

  barley

  groenten

  vegetables

  honing

  honey

  hoofdgerechten

  main courses

  kaas

  cheese

  koud

  cold

  nagerechten

  desserts

  peper

  pepper

  pindakaas

  peanut butter

  sla/salade

  salad

  smeerkaas

  cheese spread

  stokbrood

  French bread

  suiker

  sugar

  vis

  fish

  vlees

  meat

  voorgerechten

  starters/hors d’oeuvres

  vruchten

  fruit

  warm

  hot

  zout

  salt

  Snacks

  erwtensoep/snert

  thick pea soup with bacon or sausage

  huzarensalade

  potato salad with pickles

  Kkoffietafel

  a light midday meal of cold meats, cheese, bread and perhaps soup

  patates/frites

  chips/French fries

  soep

  soup

  uitsmijter

  ham or cheese with eggs on bread

  Meat and poultry

  biefstuk (hollandse)

  steak

  biefstuk (duitse)

  hamburger

  eend

  duck

  fricandeau

  roast pork

  fricandel

  frankfurter-like sausage

  gehakt

  minced meat

  ham

  ham

  kalfsvlees

  veal

  kalkoen

  turkey

  karbonade

  chop

  kip

  chicken

  kroket

  spiced veal or beef in hash, coated in breadcrumbs

  lamsvlees

  lamb

  lever

  liver

  rookvlees

  smoked beef

  spek

  bacon

  worst

  sausages

  Fish

  forel

  trout

  garnalen

  prawns

  haring

  herring

  haringsalade

  herring salad

  kabeljauw

  cod

  makreel

  mackerel

  mosselen

  mussels

  oesters

  oysters

  paling

  eel

  schelvis

  haddock

  schol

  plaice

  tong

  sole

  zalm

  salmon

  Vegetables

  aardappelen

  potatoes

  bloemkool

  cauliflower

  bonen

  beans

  champignons

  mushrooms

  erwten

  peas

  hutspot

  mashed potatoes and carrots

  knoflook

  garlic

  komkommer

  cucumber

  prei

  leek

  rijst

  rice

  sla

  salad, lettuce

  stampot andijvie

  mashed potato and endive

  stampot boerenkool

  mashed potato and cabbage

  uien

  onions

  wortelen

  carrots

  zuurkool

  sauerkraut

  Cooking terms

  belegd

  filled or topped, as in belegde broodjes – bread rolls topped with cheese, etc

  doorbakken

  well-done

  gebakken

  fried/baked

  gebraden

  roasted

  gegrild

  grilled

  gekookt

  boiled

  geraspt

  grated

  gerookt

  smoked

  gestoofd

  stewed

  half doorbakken

  medium-done

  hollandse saus

  hollandaise (a milk and egg sauce)

  rood

  rare

  Indonesian dishes and terms

  ajam

  chicken

  bami

  noodles with meat/chicken and vegetables

  daging

  beef

  gado gado

  vegetables in peanut sauce

  goreng

  fried

  ikan

  fish

  katjang

  peanut

  kroepoek

  prawn crackers

  loempia

  spring rolls

  nasi

  rice

  nasi goreng

  fried rice with meat/chicken and vegetables

  nasi rames

  rijsttafel on a single plate

  pedis

  hot and spicy

  pisang

  banana

  rijsttafel

  collection of different spicy dishes served with plain rice

  sambal

  hot, chilli-based sauce

  satesaus

  peanut sauce to accompany meat grilled on skewers

  seroendeng

  spicy shredded and fried coconut

  tauge

  bean sprouts

  Sweets and desserts

  appelgebak

  apple tart or cake

  drop

  Dutch liquorice, available in zoet (sweet) or zout (salted) varieties – the latter an acquired taste

  gebak

  pastry

  IJs

  ice cream

  koekjes

  biscuits

  oliebollen

  doughnuts

  pannekoeken

  pancakes

  pepernoten

  Dutch ginger nuts

  poffertjes

  small pancakes, fritters

  (slag)room

  (whipped) cream

  speculaas

  spice and honey-flavoured biscuit

  stroopwafels

  waffles

  taai-taai

  Dutch honey cake

  vla

  custard

  Fruits and nuts

  aardbei

  strawberry

  amandel

  almond

  appel

  apple

  appelmoes

  apple purée

  citroen

  lemon

  druiven

  grape

  framboos

  raspberry

  hazelnoot

  hazelnutr />
  kers

  cherry

  kokosnoot

  coconut

  peer

  pear

  perzik

  peach

  pinda

  peanut

  pruim

  plum/prune

  Drinks

  bessenjenever

  blackcurrant gin