5 Fantastic particles and where to use them.
One of the greatest steps in learning a language is not only mastering its grammar and learning a big amount of words, but making these two work together in common everyday speech. You start learning new language from books, but real life is as far from them as the story of your parents marriage is far away from typical story of "happily ever after". In Dutch, there is a cute shortcut to making your sentences sounding more alive, small almost senseless words, called particles.
1. Hoor.
This one you will most likely spot the earliest. This word hangs from the end of most short remarks that you will hear daily in the shop, at the dentist or in a cafe. As if there was an unspoken rule of Dutch politeness: "Never reply with just one word". So when you simply want to just say "Yes", you'd better say "Ja, hoor". This "hoor" doesn't really mean anything but saying it makes you sound a bit more friendly.
Wilt u de kassabon? Nee, hoor. Hoeft niet.
Do you want a receipt? No, thank you.
2. Maar
The puzzle with this one is that it sounds like the conjunction, which translates as "but" to English. However, maar as a particle has nothing to do with a contradiction. Rather than that, it is a means to make you sound more cheering up, encouraging, warm, when you ask someone to do something. Or just otherwise, it can show that you do not care about the outcome or diminish the effect of your words.
Trek je dikke jas maar aan, het is koud vandaag.
Wear the thicker jacket, it is cold today.
Lekker eten dan maar.
A very informal version of "bon appetite" with a bit of a diminishing, sarcastic tone.
3. Toch.
You need to be especially careful because you may seem too rude if you use it without control over dosage, because the main emotions that this particle is broadcasting are anger, irritation. However with family and close friends you can use it in questions and that will show that you expect confirmation.
Het is toch niet normaal, hoor.
This is just not normal, really.
4. Eens
An interesting one, it expresses urge. Saying, you need to do it once and the moment is now. I actually learned it from a popular nursery song about a cat who is asked to come to eat soon. (Poesje mauw)
Kijk eens, wat een rare vogel zit er op die tak.
Look now, what a weird bird is sitting on that branch.
5. Even
The last, but not the least. This one is used to make your words sound more friendly, a bit of understating the meaning of what you say or sometimes to show the shortage of time for an action. It is so popular, that it has its own acronym: ff.As you remember, plural in Dutch is made with the ending "en", so two letters "ef" sound like even.
Ging je niet ff naar de markt?
Didn't you go to the market?
There are surely much more interesting particles: positive "wel", “zeker” irritated "nou", simple "gewoon" or doubtful "misschien", another filler-like word "zeg". Or more understandable time-depicting words as "nog", "al", "pas" with their English counterparts still, yet, just. Those five above-mentioned are the words that I chose to describe are just my favourites, that I find really particularly amazing.
