Eindhoven from A to Z: Zachte G (Soft G)

We have reached the final letter of the Eindhoven alphabet. Perhaps "letter" isn't quite the right word. It's more of a sound. The sound of Eindhoven, you might say. The Z stands for the Zachte G (Soft G). Keep reading to find out more. You'll even get some authentic Eindhoven one-liners. Yeah!

An international visitor will spot it right away: that super hard G in Dutch. It's like it's coming from the depths of our throats. But down here in the south, that G is way gentler. You just bring the back of your tongue up to the level of your hard palate and let the air sneak out. It's more up front in your mouth compared to the rough G. Just try it!

Now that you've got the hang of sounding like a true Eindhovener, it's good to have a few local terms in your repertoire, too. Let's keep it simple and start with wa and da. They're no sweat, and you can use them in practically any situation. No clue what your buddy is talking about? With Wa? you'll always be on the right track.

Another local favorite: zund! Great for using when you find something unfortunate. It gets a bit trickier with Ge wit ‘t ooit nooit nie (you'll never know). Mastering this little sentence with ease is for the pros. Meanwhile, you might be wondering what the Philips Stadion is doing on the illustration of this letter. Well, here's the scoop: the high mass of the Brabantian language happens here every year. For almost two decades, singer Guus Meeuwis has been hosting his Groots met een zachte G concerts here. Singing along is still possible, but only for one last time; the final concerts will take place in the summer of 2024. Zund! So, grab a ticket quickly before we say a final houdoe (good bye). And don't forget to stress that first syllable, folks!