To lean Dutch? Is it easy? 5 Tips
Before students start learning Dutch they often want to know if Dutch is easy to learn. My answer is always: Yes, it is! Here are my 10 reasons why Dutch is an easy language to learn.
1. Dutch is from the same family as English and German
English students frequently say to me that Dutch is the easiest language to learn. It makes sense because Dutch is part of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European family of languages, just like English. And if you compare it to another language of that family, German, it’s much easier. For example, it doesn’t include all those strange grammatical cases.
2. You already know Dutch words
Maybe you didn’t realize it but you probably speak a little Dutch already. A lot of English words were initially used in… The Netherlands. The Dutch colonists were amongst the first settlers to set foot in America in the 17th century and of course they brought with them everyday Dutch words. (link naar Dutch words in English: 10 English words of Dutch origin)
Today you can find more than 1500 words in an English dictionary . And it’s not just in English. You can also find words in other languages like French, German, Spanish that have their origin in Dutch.
But not only do you find Dutch in other languages, it also works the other way around.
3. Dutch is open to other languages
The Dutch culture, and therefore the Dutch language is not afraid to accept foreign words or expressions. French, German and especially English words, easily find their way into daily Dutch conversation.
De manager die op de intensive care werkt denkt graag out-of-the-box.
(The manager who works in intensive care, likes to think out of the box.)
(The manager who works in intensive care, likes to think out of the box.)
Ik heb een badhairday, dus ik heb minder kans op een one night stand
(I am having a bad hair day, so I don’t have much chance of a one night stand.)
(I am having a bad hair day, so I don’t have much chance of a one night stand.)
In recent years we have seen a lot of English nouns being turned into Dutch verbs.
Ik whatsapp je. (I will send you a message on Whatsapp)
Zullen we gamen? (Do you want to play a computer game?)
Ik heb gisteren genetflixt. (I watched Netflix yesterday)
Zullen we gamen? (Do you want to play a computer game?)
Ik heb gisteren genetflixt. (I watched Netflix yesterday)
You may be surprised but it’s also perfectly correct to say ik heb genordicwalkt (I have been Nordic walking). And Ik heb je foto op facebook geliket. (I liked your photo on facebook.)
And then there’s also the Dutch word skaten (to inline skate). A word that originally came from the Dutch word schaatsen, then turned into an English word “to skate” and then it came back as skaten, although this time it was on wheels and not on ice.
4. Dutch people like it when you try to speak Dutch
Dutch isn´t the largest and most important language on the world. We know that. That´s why people like it when foreigners try to learn our language. You can just say `Wilt u Nederlands spreken, want ik leer Nederlands` and most people are glad to speak Dutch with you. That brings me to number 5 on my list.
5. You can start immediately
With the basic vocabulary, grammar and key phrases you can start a basic conversation. And I can promise you, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. If you can find the opportunity to practise your Dutch on a daily basis or spend time on online self-study you will see that your competence in Dutch will increase exponentially. For basic Dutch vocabulary, check my online course ‘1000 most common words in Dutch’, for basic Dutch grammar do #dutchgrammar-1, and for Dutch phrases in daily situations, watch ‘Heb je zin?’
If it is still a problem to speak and read some texts, you can consult a professional translation agency, they will help you.
