Glossary entry

Dutch term or phrase:

bus

English translation:

box [Belgian extension designation; NL bus / FR bte, boîte]

Added to glossary by Kitty Brussaard
May 26, 2019 20:27
4 yrs ago
10 viewers *
Dutch term

bus

Dutch to English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
How does everyone translate busnummer in a Belgian address? PO Box doesn't seem right, and a flat number doesn't work for an office building.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +1 box
3 +2 letterbox/mailbox/post box
Change log

Jun 3, 2019 14:44: Kitty Brussaard Created KOG entry

Proposed translations

+1
13 hrs
Selected

box

Straight from the horse's mouth...

Bis street numbers in Belgium may be of alpha or numeric nature. They are not to be confused with extension designations (box numbers). An alpha bis street number will immediately follow the number, for example 21C. A numeric bis number will be separated from the street number by a slash (‘/’), for example 21/3.

Extension designation (box numbers), if present, shall appear in the delivery point location line, preceded by the literal ‘box’ (‘bus’ in NL, ‘bte’ in FR). The literals ‘b’, ‘Bt’, ‘#’, ‘‐’, ‘/’, … are not allowed as separators between the street number element and the box number extension designator element. The element building/construction, if present, appears on the line above the delivery point location line.
https://www.bpost.be/sites/default/files/pagina/Documentatio...

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Note added at 14 hrs (2019-05-27 10:28:28 GMT)
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From the same document:

Address Element: Box Number
Title: Extension Designation
Code: 40.28.0.0.0
Comment: If not null, and must be preceded in representation by literal ‘bus’ or ‘bte’, or ‘box’

Example:

Private address of a person living in a block of flats
Formatted address

Dhr Paul Janssens
Kortijkstraat 37 bus 1
9800 Deinze

bus 1 >> box 1

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Note added at 14 hrs (2019-05-27 10:30:39 GMT)
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Company address with spatial information
Formatted address


Dhr Paul Janssens
Accounting
Acme NV
Building West ‐ Verdieping 4
Bloemendalelaan 62/3 bus 47
9990 Maldegem

bus 47 >> box 47

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Note added at 14 hrs (2019-05-27 10:44:03 GMT)
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Use the terms "bte, bus, box, boîte" in front of the box number

Rue de la Senne 32 bte 20
Zennestraat 32 bus 20
Rue de la Senne 32 box 32
Rue de la Senne 32 boîte 20
http://bpost.be/site/en/address/how-compose-address
Peer comment(s):

neutral writeaway : https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/box-num... If this is an inhouse translation, then one has to be wary /I'd be shocked if they hired native Anglos. Things are the same here as in NL
10 mins
Not sure if bpost would use non-native speakers for their English-language copy. Anyway, it seems they're quite bent on using "box" as the English equivalent for "bus"/"bte". See f.i. also http://bpost.be/site/en/address/how-compose-address.
agree Barend van Zadelhoff : Good references from Bpost (the Belgian mail boss) in sound English, as far as I can see.
2 hrs
Thank you, Barend.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "thanks, most appropriate for an office address"
+2
32 mins

letterbox/mailbox/post box

Do you mean the boxes that you leave mail in when you enter a flat as in:
https://www.postboxesukltd.co.uk/tag/post-boxes-for-apartmen...
Peer comment(s):

agree writeaway
13 hrs
Thanks, writeaway! :-)
agree Sarah van Scheltinga
1 day 12 hrs
Thanks, Sarah!
Something went wrong...
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