(Neder)brackets

Please note: This page contains my own research while translating. I basically use this wiki as a notepad and memory aid, so a lot of the content will be quickly written and potentially far from perfect. If you find anything glaringly incorrect, feel free to drop me a line @ michael@beijer.uk!

The Dutch have a particular way of (ab)using brackets. I try to make sense of some of the worst offenders in my (Neder)brackets collection. Incidentally, the best explanation of this issue I have found is in ‘Righting English that’s gone Dutch’, by Joy Burrough-Boenisch (in the chapter, ‘Bracket (ab)use’).

In the table below, I have tried to interpret various examples of ‘(Neder)brackets’.

In English, brackets around words have three functions: they enclose material that explains, clarifies, or comments. Their function is thus explanatory, clarificatory, or commentarial. In Dutch, however, brackets (usually) serve to save space. However, sometimes Dutch people actually use brackets following the English language rules, which confuses matters.

Ideally, Dutch authors writing material that will be translated would avoid using them at all, and always spell out exactly what they mean.

(Neder)brackets	Meaning ‘unpacked’ in Dutch	Dutch-style interpretation	English-style interpretation
(aanvullende) vergoeding		fee or additional fee; charges or additional charges; remuneration or additional remuneration
(af)leverdatum		???	delivery date; date of delivery
(lever)termijn		period and/or delivery period?, delivery period and/or deadline?	delivery period
(bank)administratie		bank records or other records	bank records
(bedrijfs)standaarden		corporate and other standards	corporate standards
(bepaalde) bezoekers		all or specific visitors	specific visitors
(bij)bestellen		order and/or reorder	reorder
(bij)gebouwen		outbuildings and other buildings
(bij)scholing		training or further training	further training
(bio)brandstoffen		fuels and/or biofuels	biofuels
(blinde) geleidehonden		guide dogs
(bouwkundige) kosten		construction costs and/or other costs
(brand)risico	brandrisico en/or risico	fire risk and other risks	fire risk
(brand)verzekering	brandverzekering en/of verzekering brandverzekering of andere vorm(en) van vezekering	fire and other insurance buildings insurance (including fire cover) fire insurance and/or (form of) insurance insurance (for fire or otherwise)	fire insurance
(brom)fietsers		bicycles and motorcycles; bicycles and/or motorcycles
(co-) financieren; (co-) financiering		financing and co-financing
(controle)proces		audit process or other processes (???)
(controle)teamleden (controle)teamlid		audit team members and other team members (???)
(deel)betaling		payment (or partial payment)
(deel)onderwerp		topic and/or sub topic
(deel)product		products and/or subproducts
(deel)projecten		– projects and/or partial projects – project and/or subproject	– subproject – constituent project
(digitaal) personeelsdossier		– personnel file (digital or otherwise) – digital or paper personnel file – digital or hardcopy personnel file	digital personnel file
(dreigende) terroristische handelingen		terrorist acts, or threat of terrorist acts
(druk)fouten		printing or other errors	printing errors
(een deel van) het totale beschikbare bedrag		all or part of the total available amount
(lokale) regelgeving		regulations (local or otherwise)	local regulations
(electro) technische		technical or electrical
(financiële) gegevens		financial information and other data
(fiscale) wetgeving		tax and other forms of legislation
(gedeeltelijk) kunstgebit	kunstgebit of gedeeltelijk kunstgebit	partial or full dentures	(partial) dentures [i.e., dentures that are partial, rather than full]
(gedeeltelijke) sloop		partial and/or complete demolition partial and/or total demolition	partial demolition
(her)configureerbaar		configurable or reconfigurable
(her)configureren		configure or reconfigure
(her)configureren		configure or re-configure
(huis)dieren		animals or pets; animals and/or pets
(huur)auto's		cars and/or rental cars
(indirecte) aandeelhouders		direct and/or indirect shareholders
instel(wens)waarde		desired setpoint value
(inter)nationale		national and international
(kantoor)interieur		home or office interior
(kern)waarden		just "core values", something else, like "values (core and otherwise)"?
(kinder)porno		pornography and/or child pornography
(klant)inzicht	inzicht en/of klantinzicht	insight and/or customer insight customer insight and other forms of insight	insight (with a specific focus on customer insight) customer insight
(kleuren)inkten		black and coloured inks	coloured inks
(kunst)geschiedenis		history of art or history; history or art history
(laser)lassen		welding and/or laser welding
(lever)termijnen	termijnen en/of levertermijnen	periods and/or delivery periods	delivery periods
(milieu-) eisen of maatregelen		requirements or measures (environmental or otherwise) environmental requirements or measures and/or other kinds of requirements or measures	environmental requirements or measures
(na)bloeiend		???
(mogelijk) probleem		– potential or actual problem – problem or potential problem	potential problem
(natuur)geweld		natural disasters or violence
(non)verbale communicatie		verbal and nonverbal communication
(nood)uitgang		Exit or emergency exit
(on)belangrijk		– important and/or unimportant – important, unimportant, or both
(on)rechtstreeks		either directly or indirectly
(on)veiligheidsgevoel		sense of security or insecurity
(warm) water		question (open-ended or otherwise)
(overheids)bevel		government order, or order by another body
(petro)chemische industrie		chemical and petrochemical industries
(potentiële) (interne) klant		internal or external customer (potential or otherwise)
(pre)contractuele relatie		contractual or pre-contractual relationship
(rechts)personen		legal or natural persons
(rechts)persoon		natural or legal person
(roer)bakken		frying and/or stir-frying; frying and/or stir-frying
(service)kosten		costs, service-related and otherwise
(tijdige) annulering		cancellation, within the specified time or otherwise
(toegang tot) effectieve zorg		effective care and its access; effective care and access to effective care
(toekomstige) bewoners		present and/or future residents
(verdere) dienstverlening		services (or further services)
(Ver)Huurder	Verhuurder/Huurder	Lessor/Lessee	Lessor/Lessee
(verpleeg-)adres		address or address where the employee is being treated
(warm) water		hot or cold water	hot water
(zaken-) partner		partner (whether business partner or otherwise)
(zonne)brillen		glasses or sunglasses
aanstelling(-skeuring)		appointment or pre-employment medical examination
arbeids(on)geschikt		fit or unfit for work
bij (volledig) bewustzijn		either partially or fully conscious
breed (her)inzetbaar		versatile and reusable
Indien u werkzaam bent in een (semi-)ambulante functie		If your job requires you to travel
medewerk(st)er		– male and/or female employee – employee – staff (plural and singular)
nabestaande (partner)		surviving relative or partner
partij(en)		party and/or parties
prijs(wijzigingen)		prices and price changes