Dutch Tongue Twisters
tongbrekers

Rough Translations

1. Along the cool river walked a bald coolie with a kilo of potassium on top of his bald coolie-head. kali = colonial Indonesian for river
2. If in Graven counts are digging counts' graves, counts are digging counts' graves. The 1st Graven is the name of a village; The 2nd graven is the plural form of graaf (count); gravengraven is the plural form of a graf (grave) for a graaf (count); The 3rd graven is the dutch verb for digging; The 4th graven is also the dutch verb for digging; The 5th graven is the plural form of graaf (count); The last gravengraven is the plural form of a graf (grave) for a graaf(count). Dutch: Als in Graven(het plaatsje Graven) graven(meervoud van graaf) gravengraven(meervoud van het graf voor een graaf) graven(werkwoord), graven(werkwoord) graven(meervoud van graaf) gravengraven(meervoud van het graf voor een graaf).
3. When flies fly and bees make love, the flies fly very quickly by the bees who are making love.
4. If I look at those clouds we will have a wet hour in the countryside.
5. Scheveningen / Scheveningen warped schoes
6. A slice of a Dutch sausage (blood wurst)
7. Fishermen that go fishing for fish and fishermen who fish often catch flounders. The fish that the fishing fishermen fish for, find fishermen that go fishing annoying and beastly.
8. Seven fools from Zaventem will swim six sundays in the summer without swimming trousers. The dead sister of fat Julien said: "Such fools, they are nuts, they'll sink!
9. Mother cut seven crooked slices of bread.
10. Little girl with your beautiful mouth do you have to go along with your Mum?
11. Behind the Roman church three dry towels are hanging.
12. We long for 88 beautiful nights by 88 beautiful canals.
13. Army survey system rule
14. German: Bram der brave Bruder des strickenden sabberenden Brechtje aus Briel, brach in seiner bronzebraun kleinen Hose eine Brille und ein Brandbrief und ein gebrochen stückchen mürbes Brot über die breite Brücke nach Breukelen.
15. The toilet miss of a shop of diet food for dogs whose ownner is a researcher for customers of a water clearing installation
17. Morning. Morning. Is my watch repaired? Tomorrow. Tomorrow? (Indeed,) tomorrow. Oh, goodbye. Bye bye.
18. Father's father found four filthy frocks from four filthy fellows.
19. Mientje Mandemakers' prettiest daughter made bonnets with mother's nicest machine.
20. Who knows where Willem Wouter lives? Willem Wouters lives far away. Where the wild live in the west, is where Willem Wouters lives.
21. Do you oil (lubricate) yourself? What? Whether you do oil yourself! Drink!
22. What bad weather again. You are almost blown off the road. You would be better off in the storehouse, with a little box of strawberries.
23. Three large drilling machines drill through three large doors.
24. lump of butter
25. The dirty flying fish fly after the bird.
26. With chattering teeth Kees Chivery came buying coal. Behold, behold, chattered coal-seller Kuipers. Kees chatters his teeth? Cold, Kees? Chap, complained Kees. Cracking knees, chattering molars, completely buckling knees. Curious cold, Kuipers nodded. Buy coal, lad! Coal can fight coldness!
27. Robberies occur everywhere. It happens at a robbery that a robber falls forward into a robbertrap. But for a robber is doesn't matter if he falls forward into a robbertrap. Because for the robber at a robbery allways something will remain.
28. When saws saw (other) saws saw (yet other) saws, saws saw saws saw saws.
29. Waht a weather said the maid, who was washing.
30. Is a small piece of a ship (wouden) with a long name, found in a nautical museum in The Netherlands. It is used for the anker-chain.
31. Do not drink vermouth if you expect to travel far.
32. A snipe swooped over the ship, and cut with his beak the bacon from the spit. Whoever saw a snipe swoop and cut the bacon from the spit with his beak, as this snipe did, the one that swooped over the ship and cut the bacon from the spit with his beak.
33. Greyhound's collar lock key-hole maker's apprentice.
34. I was laying on her lap, and fell asleep. I was laying on her, shot, and fell asleep.
35. Labour enobles, but nobility doesn't labour.
36. Does this pair fit you now? "Yes, dad, this pair fits
37. If behind fast flying quick flies fast flying quick flies are flying, then fast flying quick flies are flying behind fast flying quick flies
38. Do you oil yours too? Dutch: Olieën jullie die van jullie ook?
39. When a spermwhale pisses into a potty, you have a potty full of spermwhale piss.
40. non-existing stew originating from the North of Poland consisting of dry-steamed plaice and cabbage
41. night time adventures
42. If your dachshund tackles my dachshund, my dachshund will tackle your dachshund back.
43. If a married couple really make love, then a married couple really enjoys itself.
44. Ping and Pong played ping-pong. Ping ping-ponged the ping-pong ball close to Pong and Pong ping-ponged the ping-pong ball close to Ping.
45. Annoid Krelis bought kilos of crumb potatoes
46. A cap with a flat sunshield is a flat sunshield cap.
47. Nelli places a jar of pills on the stairway.
48. Don't throw green vegetables in the big canal.
49. Yesterday I sold eighty-eight small tiles.
50. If saws were seeing saws sawing, then saws would see saws sawing
51. Institute for the designers of instruction books for subscription collectors of the union of Haarlemmemeerpolder street lamp lighters.
52. Hairdresser Knap, the smart hairdresser, cuts and does hair smartly, but the mate of hairdresser Knap, the smart hairdresser, cuts and does hair more smartly than hairdresser Knap, the smart hairdresser, cuts and does hair.
53. The post-coach coachman polished the post-coach with post-coach polish on a post-coach polishing cloth.
54. The whiskey mixer mixes the mixed whiskey in whiskey mixer.
55. Eighty-eight beautiful canals.
56. My father has hair on his chest.
57. Dad bends over and takes the flat blue baking pot.
58. Is your itching nose itching like my itching nose is itching?
59. Eighty-eight suspicious doctor's daughters
60. When flies fly after flies flies fly after flies.
61. I saw two flies fly, a bee joined them, they flew under the door, over the path away.
62. Sea duck (Zee=Sea en Eend=Duck)
63. Leentje tried to teach Lotje to walk in the long Limetree Avenue But as Lotje didn't want to walk, Leentje left Lotje where she stood.
64. cry because of fear
65. walking most silently
66. cow's udder
67. I would have liked to see you dare and remain standing and looking!
68. pharmacist.
69. the bookkeeper of the administration of the tables which show an overview of the costs of calculation of transportation of the stock of materials that should lock (close) the terrain where the exhibition of tent building of the Hottentots was being organised
70. Is there eggnoggcake on the menu today? No. Eggnoggcake won't be on the menu 'til march.
71. Monkeys always copy other monkeys
72. There once were two nightwatchmen, a before-midnight-nightwatchman and an after-midnight-nightwatchman. The before-midnight-nightwtchman said to the after-midnight-nightwatchman: "If you take the before-midnight-nightwatch, I'll take the after-midnight-nighttwatch." "Okay" said the after-midnight-nightwatchman to the before-midnight-nightwatchman "I'll take the before-midnight-nightwatch en then you take the after-midnight-nightwatch." and so it happened that the before-midnight-nightwatchman took the after-midnight-nightwatch and the after-midnight-nightwatchman took the before-midnight-nightwatch.
73. Mail carriages you can buy in a shop that sells mail carriages.
74. If flies fly behind flies, flies fly very fast.
75. The salesmen went to Deventer and then man was there.
76. Jan Janssens will lay Sjakie to sleep in the evening.
77. The mail coach driver is cleaning the mail coach with the mail coach cleaner.
78. The mate cut straight and the maid cut crooked.
79. They let me walk to Hinnelopen although I wanted to go to Wou.
80. Eighty eight little stoves.
81. Wir weiße Waschfrauen wollten wieder waschen wenn wir wüßten wo wieder warmes Wasser wäre.
82. We want get rid off Willem. If Willem wants to become smarter we want to get Willem back.
83. To and Tom ate tomatos, Tom ate and To stuffed herself. German: To und Tom aßen Tomaten, Tom aß und To fraß.
84. Nonsensical nursery rhyme
85. Behind grandmother's little hut seven beetroots grow very close together.
86. Who knows where Willem Wever lives? Willem Wever lives far from here. Who knows what Willem Wever is weaving? Willem Wever is weaving white woollen winter mittens!
87. German: Sieben schwarze Sänger aus Zomergem schwommen ohne weiteres sieben sommerliche Sonntage ohne Schwimmhose. "Sie sind gewiß/sicherlich töricht/verrückt" sagte Schwarze Zulma, "ohne weiteres schwimmen ohne Schwimmhose, sie werden sicher krank werden.
88. Frans said in French to Frans: "Is Frans Frans in French?" "No", said Frans to Frans in French, "Frans in French is not Frans, Frans in French is François.
89. I mix whisky in the whisky mixer.
90. The one who doesn't know anything and knows that he doesn't know anything knows a lot more than the one who doesn't know anything and doesn't know that he doesn't know anything.
91. While doing the dishes the ash-tray fell into the sink.
92. I saw the sun sink into the Zuiderzee (South Sea).
93. The smart mate of the smart hairdresser cuts and does hair in an even smarter way than the smart hairdresser cuts and does hair.
94. The smart hairdresser does hair smartly, but the mate of the smart hairdresser does hair more smartly than the smart hairdresser does hair.
95. The driver is cleaning the wheels of the post carriage.
96. The cat scratches the curls from the steps.
97. What was wax/"was" before wax/"was" was wax/"was"? Before wax/"was" was wax/"was", wax/"was" was "is".
98. Hear the small wooden shoes click on the clinkers.
99. The maidservant cut seven crooked slices of bread.
100. Clever Sjaantje hit the lazy butcher.
101. The driver is cleaning the post carriage with carriage cleaner. (Le cocher nettoie la calèche avec un produit pour calèche.)
102. The fly and the horse saw the flying horse.
103. There was once a girl called Barbara. Barbara had a greengrocery, and she sold rhubarb. Therefore everyone called her Rhubarb Barbara. Later on she opened a cafe with a bar. It was written on the window: Rhubarb Barbara's Bar. Some wild men, real barbarians, came to visit: the Rhubarb Barbara's Bar Barbarians. Oh, what long beards those men had! They called the beards Rhubarb Barbara's Bar Barbarians' Beards. And the barber who had to trim the beards was the Rhubarb Barbara's Bar Barbarians' Beard Barber!
104. Think before acting, while acting still think.
105. Who knows where Willem Wever lives? Willem Wever lives in Westwoud. Who knows what Willem Wever weaves? Willem Wever weaves warm woollen winter mittens.
106. crow's eggs
107. There is a window on the house, and if it rains, it rains in it. Dutch: Er is en ruit uit het huis en als het regent regent het binnen.
108. (literally) Coppens hits his buttons. Like Coppens his buttons hits, hits Coppens his buttons.
109. Look look a biplane. Dutch: Kijk kijk een tweedekker.
110. Yes yes it is time that it is finished. Dutch: Ja ja het is tijd dat het gedaan is.
111. Threehundred and thirtythree men on horseback are riding around the world famous mountain Ararat.
112. Three fat ladies thought that dromedaries drank three-thousand deciliter of grapejuice daily.
113. shield and friend
114. There's a window missing in the house and if it rains, it rains inside. Dutch: Er is een ruit uit het huis en als het regent, regent het erin.
115. The bay window of the church of Lekkerkerk
116. Hottentot soldier's tent's display area
117. The lazy slug eats flabby lettuce.
118. The post-coach coachman is polishing the post-coach with post-coach polish.
119. I would very much like to take the grilled dishes.
120. Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas; It's the only Dutch word with ch+g combination, both pronounced the same way.
121. When mother was doing the laundry, a bee joined (her), which (then) flew away, underneath the door, across the road.
122. I went on a hurdle race, but ended in Utrecht, then I drove to Goedereede (place in the south of Holland). There I saw seven flies fly, but there wasn't a honeybee there.
123. When the tackling dachshund tackled a dachshund, the tackled dachshund tackled the tackling dachshund back.
124. They walk in (the city) of Diest (Belgium).
125. Bottle of Friesche Vlag (a brand of milkproducts)
126. What a weather, I almost fly of the road, I could better be in the storage, packing boxes, I see a lot of flying flies but there is no bee there.
127. What was 'was' before 'was' became 'was'? Before 'was' was 'was', 'was' was 'is'.
128. What was laundry before laundry was laundry? Before laundy was laundry, it was clean.
129. if crowing crows are crowing to crowing crows, crowing crows are crowing to crowing crows
130. It can occurr that a girl with a nice look must prevent having to appear in court.
132. "I couldn't care less," my sister Sientje would say, "if I saw seven black swans swim on the Zuiderzee".
133. sea duck eggs
134. Red roses smell nice.
135. Max mixed whiskey in the wiskeymixer
136. If the cockroach in the cat box craps, the cat box sits (is) full of cockroach crap.
137. the toenail of the supervisor of the printing-press which prints the manufacturelabels of the symbols at the uniformcaps of the clean-upservice of the meating-hall of the show-room of the factory-army-tents made by the brand Hottentotten
138. system strip for measuring flu
139. I would like to see you once dare to stand to stand watch.
140. Three fat ladies pushed through the revolving door.
141. Mother is loading the marmelade trays in the marmelade tray cellar.
142. The handsome little chaplain
143. When monkeys/apes imitate monkeys/apes, monkeys/apes imitate monkeys/apes.
144. Armsignals are signals to signal that other signals are broken.
145. The brewer brews brown beer for bride and groom.
146. Bram ties wide pieces of iron on the fragile bridge's banisters nearly up to Breda (a town in Holland).
147. A stapler staples, but a sowing machine doesn't.
148. Chicken with beaten-up pecked chicken heads.
149. Liesje taught Lotje to walk along the long Limetree Lane. But when Lotje didn't want to walk, Liesje left Lotje where she stood.
150. Knaap the handsome barber cuts well. But the servant of Knaap the handsome barber cuts and snips better than Knaap the handsome barber cuts and snips.
151. I can't understand that you can't understand the word "understand". If the word "understand" would have been ununderstandable, than I could understand that you couldn't understand the word "understand". But as the word "understand" is understandable I can't understand that you can't understand the word "understand". Do you understand?
153. The Didi (girl's name) who eats is not on a diet, the Didi who does not eat is on a diet.
154. Oh man, oh man such a lot of people, the people said to the people, when the people saw the other people.
155. O boy o boy, such a lot of boys, the boys said to the boys, when the boys saw the other boys.
156. In the small monastery were three small beetroots splashing in a bowl of soup.
157. Four filthy lovers foiled a lovemaking party Friday rather early for five free Fridays off.
158. i've seen the sun sink in sea.
159. The sad printer's (person) printer (machine) no longer prints
160. We Walloon orphans want to wash white woolen mittens if we knew where there was warm water.
161. Seven black swans swam in the salty Zuiderzee.
162. Damned damn-trousers
163. Seven swans swam in the Zuiderzee (southern sea), they could see the sun sink and that was a beautiful sight.
164. "Nice singing! An alt hisses for a long time," said uncle.
165. I want to prevent that someone with such a presence has to appear (in court).
166. That woman is professional, employed as a teacher and she is menstruating regularly. She's paid well, she's wealthy.
167. In Germany a square's been dekrauted, because a mine has exploded.
168. Does Wilfried want fries? Wilfried wants fries!
169. Does Rose have dandruff in her hair?
170. airplane tyres airvalve cap factory president's assistant's task schedule
171. Achmad from Bagdad was sitting on his bathcarpet and was reading the Bagdad newspaper and everyone is seeing him. It is wierd but in Bagdad that's okay.

Dank U

Pierre Abbat, Elias Abdalla, Ton Akkerman, Janneke Altena, Rodney Baan, Hans Banens, Hans Banens, Paul Beerenfenger, Jeroen Beerthuizen, Frank Biesta, Jean-Marc Bilderbeek, Stephan Blaakmeer, Jaap Blonk, Pieter Boddaert, Arjan Boot, Jos Branders, EsmeeNoelle Brenninkmeijer, Christoph Brezinka, Gaby Brochard, Henk Brouwer, Tim Bungeneers, Patrick Cappelle, Ruud Casema, Frans Caspers, Caroline Castendijk, Anne Cruyt, Bibi de Boer, Jeroen de Bont, Mark de Bruijn, Tim De Grande, Frank de Haan, H. Pieter de Jong, Corné de Jongh, Elie De Jonghe, Paul de Laat, Bianca De Waard, Benne de Weger, Rob de Wit, Aaron Demortier, Joël den Boer, Guy Diels, Carel Fenijn, Walter Franken, Clement Geudens, Freya Ghys, Anjo Gijsen, Gijsman, Durk Gorter, Joeri Gorter, Harry Gringhuis, Corrine Grothenn, Gerald Hendriks, Joop Huikeshoven, Dieuwke Huizinga, Taneli Huuskonen, Kees Huyser, Erik Johansson, Yuri Joubert, Eric-Jan Kaak, Koen Kamphuijs, Theo Kien, Arjen Kok, Jeroen Koning, Bert Koopman, Bert-Jaap Koops, Frank Korma, Dries Kuhlman, Wout Kwaak, Arjan Lagendijk, Albrecht Lahme, Julius Laturette, Adriaan Lautenbach, Hans Leijenaar, Marcel Leyten, Theo Maas, Amber Magnin, Rianne Maljaars, Hendrik Maryns, Hendrik Maryns, Sven Mathijssen, Ivan P. Matthieu, Jan Meesters, Olaf Melsen, Hans Mensink, Ashley Mertens, Leen Meyer, Philip A. Millard, Marjan Mol, Lambert Moonen, Martijn Moree, Karen Mulders, Anne-Marie Muller, Imma Muris, Feico Nater, Uredice Ost, Ruud Oud, Bert Peeters, Jan Priem, Wim Priem, Henk Sanders, Anne Jelle Schilstra, Tatjana Schlicht, eelke schokker, Bert Schouteten, Arnold Schrijver, Ron Schut, René Sewuster, Ziko M. Sikosek, Patrick Slechten, Cindy Sluyts, Saskia Smets, Craig Staley, Ton Stauttener, Ingrid Stolwijk, Ria Stulp, Richard Summerbell, Robin Suoss, Jelena Terzibasic, Pieter Toerien, Simone Toole, Eric Truebenbach, Ferrie Tuin, Marc Turckenburgh, Leon Vaessen, Paul van 't Hoff, Ronald van de Heuvel, Jochen Van de Perre, Bert van de Pol, Rob van de Schepop, Judith van de Wetering, Helga Van den Steen, Philippe Van der Avoort, Suzanne van der Horst, Marianne van der Velden, Marianne van der Werf, Yora van Hemert, Peter van Hoorn, C. van Jaaren, Anne van Leeuwen, Rik van Oostende, Dennis van Oosterom, Marcel van Pinxteren, Paulien van Rooij, Anton van Son, Bas van Vegchel, Wim Van Vugt, Rosalinde van Wijck, Roy Vancauwenberghe, Manuel Vandenbrande, Pieter Vandewoestyne, Joris Vanlessen, Ines Vansevenant, Kees Vermey, Bert Visscher, Henk Voerman, Ed Vullings, Igor Wagemaker, Martijn Wirken, Reinder Wolting, Inge Woudstra, Peter Wuyts, Karin Zijlstra, Marijke Zoetebier, Hans Zuurdeeg

Links

Ethnologue, Languages of the World: Dutch

[ Send a new tongue twister | Return to Index | Top of page ]

Bookmark this Page with

del.icio.us  |  Digg  |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

NowPublic  |  Reddit  |  Stumbleupon  |  my bookmarks