bus

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

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Dutch term or phrase:bus
English translation:box [Belgian extension designation; NL bus / FR bte, boîte]
Entered by: Kitty Brussaard

20:27 May 26, 2019
Dutch to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Dutch term or phrase: bus
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.
Richard Purdom
Portugal
Local time: 04:48
box
Explanation:
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)
--------------------------------------------------

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

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2019-05-27 10:44:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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
Selected response from:

Kitty Brussaard
Netherlands
Local time: 05:48
Grading comment
thanks, most appropriate for an office address
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2letterbox/mailbox/post box
Marijke Singer
4 +1box
Kitty Brussaard


  

Answers


32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
letterbox/mailbox/post box


Explanation:
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...

Marijke Singer
Spain
Local time: 05:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 18

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway
13 hrs
  -> Thanks, writeaway! :-)

agree  Sarah van Scheltinga
1 day 12 hrs
  -> Thanks, Sarah!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
box


Explanation:
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...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2019-05-27 10:28:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2019-05-27 10:30:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2019-05-27 10:44:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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

Kitty Brussaard
Netherlands
Local time: 05:48
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 44
Grading comment
thanks, most appropriate for an office address

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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.
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