←
→
emperor: (Default)
Add MemoryShare This Entry

Language question

posted by [personal profile] emperor at 01:38pm on 07/12/2009 under ,
What's the Belgian idiom(s) for "Not known at this address, return to sender"?

(I know there is no such language, FTAOD)
←
→
There are 7 comments on this entry. (Reply.)
 

(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] 3c66b.livejournal.com at 01:43pm on 07/12/2009
NPAI, retour \`a l'exp\'editeur ?
[link] [reply]
 

(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] samholloway.livejournal.com at 03:18pm on 07/12/2009
French Belgian or Dutch (Flemish) Belgian?
[link] [reply]
 

(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] samholloway.livejournal.com at 03:24pm on 07/12/2009
Ah, you've had French already.

I don't know the exact Dutch idiom, but "persoon hier niet bekend" should be readily understood.
[link] [parent] [reply]
emperor: (Default)

(no subject)

posted by [personal profile] emperor at 03:26pm on 07/12/2009
The senders appear to be in Antwerp, which I think is in the Flemish bit.
[link] [parent] [reply]
 

(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] samholloway.livejournal.com at 03:31pm on 07/12/2009
Most definitely, yes. Chances are, they will understand your English "Not known at this address", but if you put the English version along with the French and Dutch versions above, you will appear extremely knowledgeable (and hopefully non self-contradictory.)
[link] [parent] [reply]
 

(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com at 04:47pm on 07/12/2009
Presumably having all makes it a bit more likely that it won't go into a British post box and then come straight back to Emperor, NOR go all the way to a Belgian post office and then come straight back.
[link] [parent] [reply]
 

(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] jy100.livejournal.com at 02:47pm on 09/12/2009
The canonical answer is "Destinataire inconnu" — French being the language of the Universal Postal Union and therefore universally understood (English was grudgingly added as a second language in 1994).

The Antwerpians would probably be less offended by "Ontvanger onbekend".

The phrase "return to sender" is understood perfectly in Dutch and German (just as French phrases such as "À la carte" are understood in English); it would be a bit pedantic to translate it.

Whatever you do, Royal Mail will probably take the line of least resistance and bounce the package back to you several times before finally dispatching it.
[link] [reply]

May

SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
        1
 
 2
 
 3
 
4
 
 5
 
 6
 
 7
 
 8
 
 9
 
 10
 
11
 
 12
 
 13
 
 14
 
 15
 
 16
 
 17
 
18
 
 19
 
 20
 
 21
 
 22
 
 23
 
 24
 
25
1
 26
 
 27
 
 28
 
 29
 
 30
 
 31
 
OSZAR »