In the middle ages, the language of the Dutch was known as Dietsc or Duutsc, which was historically similar to German Deutsch and simply meant “people’s language,” as opposed to Latin, which was also the language for their religion and learning. The modern term “Dutch” comes from the form Duutsc which was taken into English. Nederlands, also known as Netherlandic, is the name of the language. It is also known as Hollands (Hollandish) in the Netherlands, reflecting the fact that the national tongue is heavily influenced by the dialect of the former region of Holland (now North Holland and South Holland)
The Dutch language is widely used in many of today’s most well-known songs and dishes. Others study Dutch in preparation for travel to one of the 20 nations where it is an official language. No matter if you are learning Dutch for leisure, work, or vacation, you will be able to pick it up quickly, as Dutch is easy to learn for beginners.
What are Dutch Words?
You are probably aware that not every word has the same meaning. Certain words may be used more frequently than others. Hence the most commonly used Dutch language words are the best practice for learning a language quickly.
Did you also know that individuals frequently use the same 1000 words daily? A mere 1000 words account for roughly 80% of all spoken communication. This applies to all natural languages. Aruba, the Dutch Antilles, and Suriname (all in South America) all have Dutch as their official languages. The 56th most widely used native language worldwide is Dutch.
It has approximately 22 million native speakers and approximately 28 million speakers who communicate it as a second language. However, because the Netherlands is one of the richest nations in the world, the Dutch language has a greater economic impact than simple numbers would suggest.
Top Common Dutch Words
It is an important step to understand and pronounce Dutch to English words. While learning a new language, for normal and basic communication, one should know the basic and most frequently used daily words and phrases. This helps the Dutch language learner start a conversation with native speakers.
Thus you must learn easy words in Dutch initially. Fluency requires only a small part of the 350,000 words.
- Hello = Hallo
- Goodbye = Tot ziens
- Yes = Ja
- No = Nee
- Please = Alsjeblieft
- Thank you = Dank u
- Sorry = Sorry
- Bless you = Gezondheid (after someone sneezes) [lit. “health”]
- Who? = WHO?
- Where? = Waar?
- What? = Wat?
- Why? = Waarom?
- The doctor = De dokter
- The nurse = De verpleger
- The patient= De patiënt
- The pharmacy = De apotheek
- The waiting room = De wachtkamer
- The health insurance = De ziekteverzekering
- The medications = De geneesmiddelen
- To prescribe = Voorschrijven
- The pill = De pil
- The recipe = Het recept
- The hospital = Het ziekenhuis
- The ambulance = De ambulance
- The emergency call = De noodoproep
It is also recommended to learn Dutch phrases for daily conversations with native Dutch speakers. Some of the common Dutch basic phrases are:–
| Good Morning | Goedemorgen | khoo-duh-mawr-ghuh |
| Good Day | Goedemiddag | khoo-duh-mih-dahkh |
| Good Evening | Goedenavond | khoo-duh-nah-fohnt |
| Good Night | Goedenacht | khoo-duh-nahkht |
| Hi / Bye | Hoi / Hallo / Daag / Doei | hoy / hah-loh / dahk / doo-ee |
| Goodbye | Tot ziens | toht zeens |
| See you later (in the same day) | Tot straks | toht straks |
| See you soon | Tot zo | toht zoh |
| Please | Alstublieft / Alsjeblieft | ahlst-ew-bleeft / ahl-shuh-bleeft |
| Thank you | Dank u wel / Dank je wel | dahnk-ew-vehl / dahnk-yuh-vehl |
| Thank you very much | Hartelijk bedankt | hahr-tuh-lik buh-dahnkt |
| You’re welcome (don’t mention it) | Graag gedaan | khrahkh khuh-dahn |
| I’m sorry / Excuse me | Sorry | saw-ree |
| Pardon me (didn’t understand) | Pardon, wat zei u? | pahr-dohn, vat zay ew |
| Yes / No | Ja / Nee | yah / nay |
| How are you? (formal) | Hoe gaat het met u? | hoo khaht ut meht ew |
| How are you? (informal) | Hoe gaat het? | hoo khaht ut |
| Fine / Very well | Goed / Heel goed | khoot / hayl khoot |
| So so / Bad | Het gaat / Slecht | uht khaht / slehkht |
| I’m tired / sick. | Ik ben moe / ziek | ik ben moo / zeek |
| I’m hungry / thirsty. | Ik heb honger / dorst | ik heb hohng-ur / dohrst |
| What’s your name? (formal) | Hoe heet u? | hoo hayt ew |
| What’s your name? (informal) | Hoe heet je? | hoo hayt yuh |
| My name is (I’m called)… | Ik heet… | ik hayt… |
| I am… | Ik ben… | ik ben |
| Nice to meet you. | Aangenaam (kennis te maken) | ahn-guh-nahm (ken-nis tuh mah-kuh) |
| Mister / Misses / Miss | meneer / mevrouw / mejuffrouw | muh-nayr / muh-frow / muh-yuh-frow |
| Where are you from? (formal) | Waar komt u vandaan? | vahr kawmt ew fun-dahn |
| Where are you from? (informal) | Waar kom je vandaan? | vahr kawn yuh fun-dahn |
| I am from the Netherlands. | Ik kom uit Nederland. | ik kawm owt nay-der-lant |
| Where do you live? (formal) | Waar woont u? | vahr vohnt ew |
| Where do you live? (informal) | Waar woon je? | vahr vohn yuh |
| I live in America. | Ik woon in Amerika. | ik vohn in ah-meh-ree-kah |
| How old are you? (formal) | Hoe oud bent u? | hoo owt bent ew |
| How old are you? (informal) | Hoe oud ben je? | hoo owt ben yuh |
| Cheers! | Proost! | prohst |
| Have fun! | Veel plezier! | fayl pleh-zeer |
| Good luck! | Veel succes! | fayl suk-sehs |
| Be careful! | Wees voorzichtig! | vays fohr-zikh-tikh |
| That is great / terrible! | Dat is geweldig / vreselijk! | dat is khuh-vehl-duhkh / fray-zuh-likh |
| I love you. (informal) | Ik hou van je. | ik how fahn yuh |
| I love you (all). | Ik hou van jullie. | ik how fahn juh-lee |
| How funny / odd! | Wat vreemd! | vaht fraymt |
| What a pity! | Wat jammer! | vaht yah-mer |
| What is this / that? | Wat is dit / dat? | vut iss dit / dut |
Tips for Learning Basic Dutch Words
Though learning Dutch doesn’t seem to be a big deal, some learners tend to get lost in the curriculum as well as lose interest in the subject halfway, resulting in dropping out. Hence before we go into a deep dive into Dutch learning. There are some tips we should follow for better and more efficient learning of the language and keep the learning process fun and dedicated:-
- Less is better
Whenever it comes to learning a new language, less is more. Learning Dutch quickly and in a panic is not the most effective method. It is essential to learn small amounts of phrases and words at a time and to progress gradually when learning a new language.
You must be passionate about learning the language because if you do not give it your all and put in 100% effort when practicing, you will not learn it quickly or properly.
- Begin with Children’s Books
You will start from scratch when learning Dutch, just like kids learn how and where to read and pronounce the words correctly through a basic children’s book.
We have all done it with our native language at some point, and this is one of the effective methods to do it with Dutch.
- Make a Dutch friend
You can also improve your linguistic skills if you have a buddy who speaks Dutch fluently. You can visit them to work on your Dutch. Additionally, you can converse in Dutch with your Dutch buddy at casual get-togethers, and the conversation will flow naturally by discussing your errors with them.
- Pretend you are Dutch
Unless you are having great difficulties or the person is getting irritated, forget you speak English for a moment and stick to the Dutch language. When they switch, you can even say (in Dutch) that you do not speak English. Your confidence will increase, and your communication skills will improve.
- Immerse yourself in the Dutch language
The most important tip for learning and improving your Dutch (or any other language) is to immerse yourself in it. This is easier nowadays because you can probably enter Dutch-language media from anywhere. Examine how people speak in videos, tune in to the radio, enjoy a Dutch movie or series, or listen to Dutch music!
FAQs
What makes learning Dutch so difficult?
There are a few factors that could make learning Dutch difficult for anyone. There is a complex prepositional system, including compound prepositions. The wording is very strict, and it can be difficult to construct longer phrases. There are also a lot of phrasal verbs.
Where can I hear Dutch?
Dutch is not only spoken in the Netherlands, but it is also the official language of Flanders, Belgium’s neighboring northern provinces. Dutch is the official language of Suriname (South America), Aruba, and the Dutch Antilles (Caribbean).
How different are the Dutch and the Danes?
Danish is the official language of Denmark. The language spoken in the Netherlands is Dutch. Both are Germanic languages: Dutch is West Germanic (along with English and German), while Danish is North Germanic (together with Norwegian and Swedish).
What is the age of the Dutch language?
Around 1100 AD, the oldest known Dutch love verse was written. During this time, most information, stories, and rhymes were passed down orally. We know that in the fifth century, people communicated in the earliest forms of Dutch.
Where can I acquire the top courses for learning Dutch?
You can select one of the top Dutch language courses with the support of Curiotory.com. To make it easier for beginners to accelerate their pace of learning and remain focused, they provide a wide choice of beginner and expert Dutch learning tools in addition to straightforward and well-organized course content.
