Understanding Dutch street names

You know what confuses me? Not knowing the language.

True, you can get around in English, especially in Amsterdam with its number of tourists (more than 4.5 million per year!) and different nationalities. However, once you step off the beaten path, you may feel... well, the urge to get back to it ASAP.

What I found really frustrating were the street names.

Not speaking Dutch, I didn't have much choice. At first I tried to memorize the names of the streets by heart, as random and meaningless bunches of syllables. Of course, I would end up rotating, forgetting and inverting parts of words, eventually becoming the human equivalent of a cat walking over a keyboard.

I had to tackle the problem from a different angle, so I learned to understand the street names. I still occasionally mix up brug and burg, but it has made my daily life so much easier! I no longer mistake Hendrikstraat for Hendrikkade, weg for steeg and my brain for a cat.

I give you the infographic I wish I had in front of me a year and a half ago. Enjoy!

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