Learn Dutch

You need to build your vocabulary from words which are used to build the structure of a basic Dutch sentence in the first place.

Example: If you want to say: Ik heb om 3 uur een afspraak. (I have an appointment at 3 o’clock).

Which words should you learn first?

1. Ik
2. heb
3. om
4. 3 uur
5. een
6. afspraak

The most important words in this sentence are: ik, hebben, om, een and 3 uur. They create a frame (a structure) of this Dutch sentence. We call them key building blocks of the Dutch language. Your first goal is not to learn every word which you will come across but to build a structure of your Dutch language so you can start speaking.

Example: If you do not know the Dutch word for an appointment, you can temporarily replace it by an English one: Ik heb om 3 uur een appointment.

This is not 100% original Dutch but, in this way, you will be able to start speaking basic Dutch and learn new Dutch words from your conversations. The Dutch language is related to other Germanic languages like English and German. It’s totally fine to use some English words in your Dutch speaking in the beginning. Most Dutch people speak English well and will understand you. This is a learning strategy to get your speaking going. In our Dutch course, you will learn the most important key building blocks of the Dutch language. So what words should you learn first?

As a beginner, focus first on learning:

1. Personal & Possessive pronouns (ik.., mijn.. etc)*
2. Verbs (werken, maken)**
3. Adjectives & Adverbs (groot, klein etc)**
4. Prepositions (in, om, op etc)*
5. Demonstrative pronouns (deze, die, dat, dit)*
6. Contradictions (nooit <> altijd)**
7. Nouns (een pen, een man)**
8. Conjunctions (en, maar, of)*

* You will learn them and how to use them in our Dutch classes.
**You need to learn them yourself. You will learn how to use them in our Dutch classes.

Learn 10 Dutch verbs, 5 adjectives and 5 contradictions every day! Start building your personal vocabulary and bring it to our Dutch classes! We will build your Dutch!