25 Dutch management terms that every expat should know
In the average Dutch company, a unique language is spoken at management level: Dutch ‘management speak’. If you deal with a lot of Dutch people on the work floor, you’ll hear these terms being used all the time. It’s then that you might realize that a course in social Dutch may not be quite enough for understanding what in the world someone is talking about.
There is one advantage to Dutch management speak: many words come straight from English. But be aware—a Dutchman might not use that English word that same way you do!
We’ve collected 25 commonly-used words and expressions from typical Dutch management speak for you here.
| Literal translation | Meaning | Example in Dutch | |
| Aanhaken | ‘hook on’ | To involve someone | We moeten hem aanhaken bij dit onderwerp. |
| Aanvliegen | ‘fly on’ | The approach you take to something | Laten we het dit keer eens anders aanvliegen. |
| Aftikken | ‘tick off’ | To finish off something or decide on it | We moeten dit direct aftikken. |
| Alle neuzen dezelfde kant op | ‘all noses in the same direction’ | To have consensus on a goal and the way to approach it | Voor we starten moeten we alle neuzen dezelfde kant op hebben staan. |
| Bila | - | A bilateral meeting, a meeting between two people | Ik wil dit bespreken in mijn bila met mijn manager. |
| Doorpakken | ‘grab it through’ | To finish something which requires a bit of perseverance | Ik vind dat we nu moeten doorpakken. |
| Een stukje | ‘a little piece’ | A bit | Van hem verwacht ik een stukje betrokkenheid. |
| Een vorkje prikken | ‘prick it with a fork’ | To eat | Hij gaat vanavond een vorkje prikken met een klant. |
| Ergens een plasje over doen | ‘pee on it (somewhere)’ | To allow someone to make a small change to something so that it is clear that his/her opinion matters as well | Misschien moet hij daar ook nog een plasje over doen. |
| Ergens handen en voeten aan geven | ‘give (something) hands and feet’ | To work something through, make it concrete | Hij gaat handen en voeten geven aan het plan. |
| Ergens op schieten | ‘shoot at (something)’ | To talk about something or criticize it | Laten we eens op het plan schieten. |
| In je kracht zitten | ‘to sit in your power’ | To be comfortable in your own skin | Bij dit project zit hij in zijn kracht. |
| Je ding doen | ‘do your thing’ | To do something you enjoy and that you are good at | Je moet vooral je ding doen. |
| Jip en Janneke taal | ‘Jip and Janneke language’ | To say something simply. Jip and Janneke are the main characters in a series of toddler books written by Annie M.G. Schmidt. | Het voorstel in Jip en Janneke taal: ... |
| Klankborden | ‘to sound-board’ | To exchange ideas with/ bounce an idea off someone | Ik vind dat we dit voorstel moeten klankborden. |
| Kortsluiten | ‘short-circuit’ | To discuss | Laten we dit kortsluiten met de afdeling Sales. |
| Kwaliteitsslag maken | ‘make a quality stroke’ | To improve something noticeably | Met dit project kunnen we snel een kwaliteitsslag maken. |
| Linksom of rechtsom | ‘left or right way around’ | No matter how you look at it | Linksom of rechtsom, we moeten dit nu aanpakken. |
| Meters maken | ‘make meters’ | To make a lot of progress, keep working on something | Vandaag wil ik meters maken, dus werk ik thuis. |
| Niet lullen maar poetsen | ‘don’t blab on, just clean’ | To not just talk about something, but do it | Wij zijn van het ‘niet lullen maar poetsen’. |
| Piketpaaltjes slaan | ‘drive little pickets' | To set boundaries/ parameters | We zullen eerst de piketpaaltjes slaan. |
| Uitdagingen | ‘challenges’ | An often-used euphemism for ‘problems’ | Er zijn geen problemen, alleen maar uitdagingen. |
| Uitrollen | ‘roll out’ | To implement | Deze werkwijze wordt vanaf volgende week uitgerold in de organisatie. |
| Uurtje factuurtje | ‘little hour, little invoice’ | To charge an hourly rate | Hij werkt op basis van uurtje factuurtje. |
Language training at Regina Coeli in Vught
You are most welcome to follow Dutch language training at our institute in Vught. During an intensive individual language training you learn Dutch on your level and in your specific context. Read more about our Dutch language courses.
Do you require more information? Please contact us!
Related topics
Making small talk in Dutch
Despite Dutch directness, you’ll need to—if you wish to truly integrate into Dutch culture—be prepared to make a bit of small talk in Dutch. By being able to chat about any number of general subjects, you’ll connect with your colleagues, neighbours and business partners. It’s a valuable skill which you can quickly feel at ease using, because you don’t actually need a great deal of vocabulary for it.
Understanding the Dutch better by adopting their communication style
Finn Niina Pussinen made the radical switch to using Dutch for her job. “At first, speaking Dutch felt like running a 100m dash on one leg and with two hands tied behind my back."
Tips for improving your Dutch pronounciation
Dutch pronunciation frequently poses challenges for non-native Dutch speakers. The challenges depend on your mother tongue. The language you grew up with actually impacts the way the muscles of your mouth work, as well as what feels right in terms of pronunciation. Pronunciation training is an integral aspect of any Dutch course at Language Institute Regina Coeli, and for good reason. But you can also continue working on your pronunciation afterwards!