English speakers, unlike people who speak a language like Spanish or French, are not usually exposed to a foreign tongue that sounds and looks a lot like their own. But the Dutch language may be the exception to that rule as it's a language that behaves and appears quite a lot like English. One such recent post pointed out that "we hebben een serieus probleem," which is Dutch for "we have a serious problem."

The striking similarity between the Dutch way and the English way of saying this statement entertained many online last week, but how did it become a meme, and do we really hebben een serieus probleem?

Where Does 'We Hebben Een Serieus Probleem' Come From?

The phrase comes from a post on Twitter / X that was first made for a Dutch-speaking audience by politician Geert Wilders — a right-wing leader in the Netherlands who has a history of inflammatory comments.

English-speaking audiences who found the post generally did not read beyond "we hebben een serieus probleem," focusing on the appearance of the Dutch words and finding them humorous in nature.

Many posters compared the presumed sound of Dutch to the way Jar Jar Binks would talk, and the most virally resonant post about Wilders' tweet makes this joke.

What Is The 'Serieus Probleem'?

The "serieus probleem" referred to in the original tweet is the European Migrant Crisis and a law proposed in the Netherlands that would require different territories of the country to accommodate asylum-seekers and refugees. Wilders, who has for years been opposed to immigration, also opposes the law.

Why Do People Make Jokes About Dutch?

There's a long tradition of internet posters (well, really only two years old, but that's a long time in internet years) looking at words in Dutch and translating them to English. For example, the fact that "Geef me een klap, papa" means "spank me, daddy" in Dutch has never ceased to amuse since it was first posted in a viral tweet in 2022.

What Kind Of Memes Are Being Made About This?

"We hebben een serieus probleem" is typically used as a reaction image, captioning situations or posts where there seems to be a "serieus probleem." It's a phrase that's been used to describe workplace situations, personal situations and everything else too. Sometimes, the best way to handle a serieus probleem is with a '"ach," which means "laugh" in Dutch.

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For the full history of We Hebben Een Serieus Probleem, be sure to check out our Know Your Meme encyclopedia entry for more information.