False friends – 17: rooster vs rooster

Transcript of the video lesson – rooster vs rooster:

Hi, welcome to learndutch.org’s false friends.

Words from different languages that sound or look the same, but with a different meaning. Today the Dutch word: “rooster” which you write exactly the same as the english “rooster”. These are totally different things, they are false friends!

A rooster in English is what we call in Dutch “een haan”. (crows)

But the Dutch word “rooster” is a grating. Like in english it you use this word as well to for the metal where you put your meat on, on the barbecue; the grill. In Dutch the word is also used for a schedule. And with some imagination you may understand it, as it both is constructed out of perpendicular lines. 

And here we have a picture again

de haan kraait volgens een vast rooster: elke ochtend om 7 uur

the rooster crows according a fixed schedule: every morning at 7

So, the Dutch “rooster” and and the English “rooster” are false friends!

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