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Today the letter I is up on the stage, ready to be adorned. It’s time for the next instalment of the A-Z of Turning Dutch!

So I asked you guys what I word springs to mind when you contemplate life in the Netherlands. So without further ado, here is the A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter I list – in no particular order.

The Letter I and the Netherlands

• I is for the IND the Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (who did quite a good job helping Brits become registered in NL after Brexit, says this tweeter).
• Ijsjes / Ijs (ice cream)
• Inburgering (civic integration process – see below)
• Ibbeltje (book character created by Annie M.G. Schmidt)
• Ik (I)
• Imker (bee keeper)
• Indonesisch eten (see below)
• Intocht (processions, often associated with Sinterklaas)

As you can see, it’s a short list. Is that because there aren’t many words beginning with I in Dutch? Well, according to Encyclo.nl, there are actually 26,650 Dutch words starting with an I. However, on closer inspection, many of them are actually names or English words. A lot of them are words that simply have ‘in’ added to the front of them. Many of them are not used by actual people. And so as far as I am concerned, the list above is representative and impressive. Considering.

Inburgering

This is an important word for non-Dutch people living here in the Netherlands, so little surprise it made it onto the list. And it’s only right that we pay the word a little attention. Inburgering is essentially the civic integration process. The Dutch government believes that those that come to live for the longer term in the Netherlands should be able to integrate into Dutch society. It means learning the Dutch language and learning about the country’s norms about working and living – and for many this process results in taking exams. Sometimes this is a compulsory process, other times a voluntary one, depending on your circumstances. My personal experience with the inburgering process was brief and problematic. Hopefully, yours is a different story (feel free to share below).

Indonesisch Eten

When you first move to the Netherlands, you may or may not know about the Dutch link with Indonesia. You soon will. Indonesia used to be the largest of the Dutch colonies and the shared history is vast and controversial. The relationship spans 400 years. As a newcomer to the Netherlands, you will see many signs of this relationship. And food is certainly a major one.

Over to You

So that’s the round-up of the A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter I. What word beginning with I resonates with you the most? Or do you have a word to add to the list? Let me know in the comments.

The post Drum Roll: The A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter I appeared first on Turning Dutch.