About Henri
The person behind
your Dutch.
I’m Henri Broekman, a Dutch translator and localization specialist based in Amsterdam. I help international businesses find the right words for their products, their customers, and the Dutch market.
My work ranges from software interfaces and technical information to fashion, e-commerce, and campaigns. The common thread is an interest in how things work, and how to explain them in language that feels right.
A Dutch perspective.
An international life.
To start this off, I’m a born-and-raised Dutchman, a cheesehead (kaaskop). Aside from my strong roots, I’ve lived in nine countries across Europe and the Americas. I’m fluent in Dutch, English and Brazilian Portuguese. After meeting my wife in Brazil and living there for some time, we moved to Amsterdam.
Moving between languages and cultural perspectives is part of my everyday life, not just my work. For starters, my wife and I live trilingually, as one language does not cover all the wonderful expressions different languages have to offer.
That is also what I enjoy about localization. The aim is not to make every brand sound the same, or to make everything conspicuously “Dutch.” It is to understand what someone is trying to say and find a way for it to make sense here, without losing its character.
Curious about the product.
Particular about the words.
I like understanding what sits behind the text. What does this setting actually change? How is this component used? What makes this product different from the one beside it?
That curiosity is useful in a job where the same English word can require very different Dutch translations. A short interface label needs to describe the right action. A technical instruction needs to name the right part. A fashion description needs to capture the design without becoming a string of interchangeable adjectives.
My work spans translation, specialist review, linguistic quality assurance, and localization management. That gives me a view of both the individual sentence and the process around it: the terminology, the reference material, the feedback, and the decisions that need to remain consistent across a product or collection.
I enjoy that combination. Sometimes the work is about finding a more expressive phrase. Sometimes it is about noticing that two teams have given the same feature different names.
Working together
A direct working relationship.
You work with me, and you can talk to me about the text. We agree on the brief and the practicalities up front, then keep the conversation focused on what the work needs.
I’ll explain a wording choice, suggest a different approach when the source does not travel well, and ask for context when it matters. When a question needs your product team or subject specialist, I make that question specific enough to answer.
Beyond individual projects
Part of the wider team.
Some projects need a translator. Others need someone who can help keep the Dutch consistent across contributors, channels, and releases.
Alongside the language work, I help coordinate linguists, maintain terminology and style guidance, and turn review feedback into decisions people can use again. The aim is to build on what has already been agreed, rather than revisit the same questions with every new batch.
Away from the screen.
Usually in the kitchen.
Outside work, I spend a lot of time cooking, trying new dishes, and having friends around the table. Pizza and fresh pasta are recurring projects, and a slightly disproportionate amount of thought goes into the dough.
Travel is another constant. My wife and I enjoy exploring places through their food, their streets, and the way people live. Restaurant reservations tend to feature quite prominently in the planning.
I’m also drawn to art, fashion, and design, from a visit to the Rijksmuseum to the typography on a menu. I like things with a distinct point of view.
And then there is our Dalmatian, who provides a very good reason to step away from the desk and remains convinced that he is a lapdog.
Modern workflows.
Human judgement.
I work with human translation, post-editing, and AI-output review according to the context and requirements of each project. The tools and data-handling conditions are agreed before the work begins.
I can also work within your CAT tool, TMS, or CMS setup, so the language process fits the way your team already works.
Explore the servicesTell me what
you’re working on.
A new product, an established collection, or Dutch content that does not quite sound like you yet: I’d be glad to hear about it.