Real life examples of
miscommunication
Do we understand each other?
Example: advertisement using
the "Frau Holle” figure.
The Fairytale of Frau Holle is not so
well known in the Netherlands.
We have found that only very few Dutch people are familiar with the fairytale of Frau Holle. If you still want to use this reference because it fits so well into your campaign in Austria, add an explanatory note or give her a less important part.
Example: advertisement slogan
"The glaciers are open."
… surely glaciers are only for
mountain climbers or risk seekers?
Many people in the Netherlands know what a glacier is, but will not associate it with skiing. When they read "The glaciers are open" they will assume this advertisement is seeking to attract mountaineers. If you are telling the Dutch that “glaciers are open” because you want them to know that skiing there is now possible, it is better to say explicitly that "The glaciers are open for skiing!".
Example: advertisement for
"Langzame liefhebbers", a literal
translation from German
However, translated like this
in Dutch it means"Slow Lovers."
A typical example of a literal translation which is completely misunderstood. If a text is full of these kinds of mistranslations, the visitors to your website will not take you seriously and leave your site.
Example: advertise with the word
"Pistenpeuter", another literal
translation from German meaning
'piste infant'.
This word is not used in the Netherlands and sounds corny.
Literal translations of puns are risky. In addition, a Flemish translation is usually not appropriate for a Dutch audience: the Flemish have a very different language culture and can use completely different terminology.
Example: Using a photograph
of a family on vacation wearing
“Lederhose”.
A Dutch person will not
want to identify with that.
The Dutch love it if the locals wear these lederhosen. But they would never wear these trousers themselves, they would feel ridiculous. It is recommended not to use any pictures of tourists in this costume.
