I teach Dutch and I have a discussion with a colleague.
If someone doesn’t understand something, I think they should say “Wow”, according to my colleague that is wrong and it should be “excuse me”. But that sounds so French to me.
And so dear expert, what is it now (or are both right/wrong?).
Answer
Dear Josh
You are right: wablief is absolutely correct. Wablieft is also possible in Belgian-Dutch colloquial language (we already discussed the difference between those two forms in question 18557 answer).
To apologize does exist in Dutch, but with the general meaning of ‘to apologize’, while wablief? more specifically subtly expresses an apology because someone did not understand the message. Also, excuse comes with a pronoun, so this would be the correct structure: Excuse me? (which seems a bit strange).
Using excuse? in Dutch may indeed have been influenced by French, from which the Dutch verb was borrowed centuries ago, but just as well by (American) English, where excuse me? one of the possibilities is in this context, next to e.g. (I beg your) pardon? and come again? I’m not aware of any research on the frequency of excuse? with this meaning has penetrated the Dutch language area, but it seems to me to be on the rise.
Another bouncer:
On the Fans of Flanders website of the VRT, non-native speakers already get the appropriate advice in a video.
Sincerely
Lieven Buyse
Answered by
prof. dr. Lieven Buysse
General Linguistics, English Linguistics, Dutch Linguistics
Old Market 13 3000 Leuven
https://www.kuleuven.be/
.