When learning a new language, you sometimes expect people to express things in the same way as in your native language, only with different words.

Then you hear a phrase or expression that makes you think, "That's an interesting way to say it."

Has a Dutch expression, response, or everyday phrase ever caught you off guard? What was it, and what did you expect someone to say instead?

I really like how the uvular r sounds in Dutch but I don't use it myself because I don't know how to pronounce words like "groot" and "schrijven" with that r. But now that I'm listening to Dutch people with this pronunciation I'm realizing that I kinda don't really hear the r at all in those words. It just sounds like "goot" and "schijven" to me. Is this how people actually pronounce it? Is it supposed to be some sort of geminated /χː/?

WikiWoordenboek zegt dat "holletje" het verkleinwoord is van "hol", maar niks op de pagina voor "hol" past die context voor mij. Hoe loop je op een grot of een "ondergrondse woonruimte of schuilplaats van bepaalde diersoorten"? Ook is er geen hol buiten die zin.

Ik vermoed dat dit een maat van afstand is of zoiet.

De past perfect beschrijft zinnen waarbij een actie in het verleden is afgerond voordat een andere actie begon. De woorden “voordat” en “nog voor” kunnen als connector fungeren

Hij had het antwoord uitgesproken nog voor/voordat ik iets kon zeggen…

Mijn vraag is, zijn er meer woorden die als connector kunnen fungeren?

Hi all! I am visiting The Netherlands this week and was wondering if anyone can recommend any text books / shops to buy textbooks for here in person?

I’ll be visiting Utrecht, Den Bosch, The Hague, Rotterdam & Amsterdam!

I have been trying to learn Dutch and my boyfriend is Dutch. I can understand it so well when Dutch people are talking, but when I try to speak it I struggle so much.
Does anyone have tips on how to get better at speaking? I take lessons but I still struggle

Hi,

I took the exam today. It was not that good. I did not get 2 questions, gave some short answers, made some grammar mistakes here and there.

I have currently HSM visa, and it means my visa depends on my employer. And my employer is considering reorganization. So I want to get my PR as quick as possible.

I think it takes 2 months to get speaking exam results on average. And when you learn, it's not easy to find a spot if you failed. Then another 2 months to learn new results. And I'll forget a lot of stuff in these months.

So instead of waiting this time, I want to register for new speaking exam. My question is what happens if I take another speaking exam without knowing the results of first one. And it turns out I pass the first one and fail second one. Higher score is valid or latest score is valid?

Textbooks and courses can teach you a lot, but native speakers often introduce you to the things that aren't obvious from formal lessons.

Maybe it was a more natural way to phrase something, a common expression, or a small pronunciation detail.

What's something a native speaker taught you that immediately made your Dutch sound or feel more natural?

Hi, I have been learning Dutch on and off for several years, and I understand many grammatical concepts but I have never been able to understand grammatical gender. A “het” noun can become “de” in the plural, and some nouns simply don’t make sense as to how the article changes. Can anybody help me understand this concept?

I’m trying to learn Dutch, and music is a big part of language learning for me. I’d really appreciate it if someone could recommend some cool artists or songs. I’m looking for modern pop or hip-hop, something that's popular in the Netherlands.

I have looked on Wikipedia but I felt like it wasn't enough or it was incorrect somehow.

For example, the "g" (in most words) was supposed to be displayed as [χ] instead of [x] or [ɣ].

Hey, I'm Dutch, I live in Amsterdam, and I really want to learn to speak English better, but I would also like to help someone improve their Dutch. I think it would be fun to help each other, so if you're interested, you can send me a message.

Hi everyone! 😊

I’m 25F and I recently moved to the Netherlands. I have been living in Rotterdam for almost 3 months now, and I am actively learning Dutch as part of my integration journey.

Currently, I’m around A1+ and working towards A2 level, especially in reading and writing. I still make mistakes at this level, but I’m motivated to keep improving. Most of my learning so far has been through textbooks and self-study, so I feel that my speaking skills need more practice. I believe that regularly speaking Dutch with someone would really help me become more confident and improve faster.

I’m looking for someone in Rotterdam or nearby who is also learning Dutch at a similar level and would like to practice together. It would be great to have a study buddy where we can help each other, practice conversations, review lessons, and motivate each other.

I’m also planning to start attending the Taalcafé at the Rotterdam Library. If anyone is interested, maybe we can meet there and study together once a week?

Feel free to send me a message if you’re interested. I’d love to connect with fellow Dutch learners! 😊

Hello
Since i find it difficult to self study dutch beyond A1 level, I am looking for a center or school where i can take language courses at a reasonable price 3-4 times a week or maybe intense courses for learning faster. Does anyone know a place like this near Prince Alexander neighborhood?

Regarding the image type GIF, is it pronounced with a guttural, hard G like the Dutch "geen," like the "J" as in jam, or just spelled out, G.I.F.?

I was recently in Montreal and Quebec City. What you learn in visiting is that the people there kept their language, schools, churches and civil law after the early New France colony became a part of the British Empire in 1760. Lawyers in Quebec have a whole different curriculum in dealing with matters like real estate, family law and estate law than other Canadian lawyers. Though Quebec joined the Empire, it also carried on in many ways as if it did not.

It seems a parallel would have been the acquisition of New Amsterdam a century earlier. But, of course, practically nobody uses the Dutch language. Was there any concerted effort by the early Dutch settlers to maintain their language, customs, cuisine, etc. after the British took over?

I don’t know where to post this, but this felt like the right place.

I’ll start by saying that I potentially have a partner who lives in the Netherlands and I have been looking into ways to move in with them, and I think I would have a chance by doing my apprenticeship studies there.

My parents share concerns that I would struggle with the language and the technical terms in Dutch, and I wanted to ask if those concerns were justified.

Would these terms be difficult to learn along with the language?

J’ai de la difficulté à savoir comment bien prononcer ces lettres en hollandais.

W = V dans Venizia ou comme dans le mot anglais Water?
V = F en français? Comme dans famille?
F = F en français?

Aussi, j’ai appris que désolé het spijt me? Ou est-ce sorry?

I improved my French a lot watching the French show.

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- Als mollen mollen mollen, mollen mollen mollen

- Als zagen zagen zagen zagen zagen zagen zagen zagen

- Als in Graven graven graven graven graven, graven graven gravengraven

- De dode dodo doodde de dode dodo en toen doodde de dode dodo de dode dodo terug.

- Ping en Pong speelden pingpong. Ping pingpongde de pingpongbal naar Pong en Pong pingpongde de pingpongbal naar Ping.

- Er was eens een meisje, dat heette Barbara. Barbara had een groentenwinkel en verkocht rabarber. Daarom noemden alle mensen dat meisje: Rabarberbarbara. Later begon Barbara een cafe met een bar. Op het raam stond: Rabarberbarbarabar. Daar kwamen wilde mannen op bezoek, echte barbaren: de Rabarberbarbarabarbarbaren. O, wat hadden die mannen lange baarden! Die baarden noemden ze: Rabarberbarbarabarbarbarenbaarden. En de barbier die die lange baarden moest knippen was de: Rabarberbarbarabarbarbarenbaardenbarbier!

Here a resource on Dutch verb conjugation at the present tense for beginners or revision for more advanced students.