Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing AI's impact on translators, untranslatable Dutch words, and more, with Heddwen Newton
Aug 14, 2025
Heddwen Newton, an English teacher and translator in Germany, dives into the fascinating world of untranslatable Dutch words and their intricate meanings. She discusses the looming threat of AI on the translation industry, addressing job security concerns and how machine translation is reshaping professional roles. Heddwen also shares her literary insights, recommending captivating reads like 'Ella Minnow P' by Mark Dunn, blending the art of language with the world of literature.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
How She Became A Translator
- Heddwen started translating after a bar patron asked her to translate a text, and she kept working as a translator ever since.
- She created a website collecting hard-to-translate Dutch words to help other translators and learners.
Missing 'How Manyeth' In English
- Dutch has a productive way to ask ordinal-count questions that English lacks, like 'how manyeth' enabling answers like 'the third'.
- English requires a different construction, so Dutch speakers notice a lexical gap.
A Word For Being Birthday-Y
- Dutch uniquely has an adjective for 'having your birthday' (birthday-y) that bundles being celebrated and feeling special.
- English lacks a compact adjective, so Dutch speakers miss this single-word expression yearly.
