According to my Dutch students, this is not necessary in the Netherlands, and could actually result in problems. When someone says 'I'm sorry,' it is taken more literally and is interpreted as an admission of guilt.
If you're an English speaker, there's fortunately not too much you'll have to learn. Dutch people say “sorry” too! The key is learning when it's appropriate to use this form of apology versus, say, a more “Dutch-sounding” one. The Dutch word for “apology,” in case you're wondering, is de verontschuldiging.
If you yourself are the victim and your wrongdoer says: sorry, pardon, excuus, vergeef mij or het spijt mij, it is customary to react by saying: het geeft niet (literally: it gives not), het maakt niet uit (literally: it makes not out), or het doet er niet toe (literally: it does not do to it).
sorry → sorry, het spijt me, pardon, excuseer, wat zegt u, wat zeg je.
Shedding 'Sorry' Can Be Empowering
Saying sorry in every other sentence out of politeness can be burdensome. Owning your actions and realizing that you have nothing to apologize for can build self-esteem.
He remembered the three R's – regret, react, reassure.
Narcissists don't like to apologize because they believe that it will make them look weak or vulnerable. This is why they often come up with excuses to avoid doing so, such as saying: “I didn't mean to do that, it just happened!” Or even worse: “It wasn't my fault!
Eikel, lul, klootzak, muts, doos, kuttekop, kutwijf
Kankerlijer (sufferer of cancer) is also popular and comes from the popular use in Dutch of diseases in swear words.
Meteorologisch (meteorological) is the most difficult Dutch word to pronounce, according to Dutch language experts. The Onze Taal language organisation used its Facebook page to draw up a list of the 10 most difficult Dutch words and encouraged people to vote.
tegenvallen [viel tegen|tegengevallen] {v.t.} I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed by the investigation by the Court of Auditors.
Basic Etiquette
It is considered rude to keep people waiting. It is polite to cover your mouth when yawning. It is rude to speak whilst chewing gum. Knock before entering a room if the door is shut.
Direct Communication: Dutch tend to have a direct communication style, speaking quite frankly in a straightforward manner. At times, this may be misunderstood as rude, especially if one is not used to forthrightness. However, the Dutch tend to view direct communication as a well-appreciated form of openness.
The common greeting in the Netherlands is a handshake along with a nod of the head. This form of address is usually short. Among friends and family, it is common to greet one another by kissing on alternating cheeks three times.
Cursing countries which swear the most - and the least
The French have 7.59% - or seven in every 100 people - using curse words online per year. A close second was Poland, with 7.31%. Further down the rankings are Australia, New Zealand and Spain.
Fart, as it turns out, is one of the oldest rude words we have in the language: Its first record pops up in roughly 1250, meaning that if you were to travel 800 years back in time just to let one rip, everyone would at least be able to agree upon what that should be called.
Refusing a handshake is considered as very poor manners. If you have a good reason (religious or medical, for instance) not to, you should be careful to explain, so that it doesn't seem like you are just snubbing people.
Dutch, with its 24 million speakers one of the 40 most spoken languages in the world, is also an endangered language. Perhaps not in the short term, but it is definitely losing ground.
When you buy your own home, you will need to pay purchasing and financing costs, known in Dutch as kosten koper or k.k. This means that the buyer pays the property transfer tax and the costs of the transfer deed.
Someone with NPD or narcissistic behaviors is unlikely to do things like apologize or sing your praises without it being self-serving. Narcissism can be a personality trait and a mental health disorder, and someone can have narcissistic tendencies without being labeled a “narcissist.”
Narcissists make you believe it's your fault
We know that narcissists don't apologize. This can lead to something even more complex and contradictory. It might not seem like it, but narcissists struggle as well. They suffer a lot because they always feel frustrated and bitter.