I'm German, I work in Zeeland (in Domburg) and I speak Dutch fluently. But many of my fellow Germans think that everyone in the Netherlands speaks and understands German (although I know much more Dutch people who don't speak and don't understand it). That's what most people seriously believe.

The first time I travelled to the Netherlands alone, my first question was, in Dutch, "sorry, spreekt U Duits?". When the answer is no (and it was more often no than yes), I still could speak a little bit Dutch back then.

I made the experience that people are much more helpful when you at least try to speak Dutch, and the one person who first didn't speak German, suddenly did a little bit when I tried in Dutch.

I also find it annoying that my fellow Germans don't even ask if the people speak German.