In 1889, the impressionist poet, Herman Gorter, wrote the famous first lines Unfortunately, much of the relative ease in which English speakers can learn Swahili is in many ways due to the years of contact Swahili-speaking people in southeast Africa had with slave traders and colonizers. fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact9.mp3"; You can also find words in other languages like French, German, Spanish that have their origin in Dutch. After all, it’s part of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family, making it closely related to English. fm.loop = false; fm.id = "mymovie"; fm.embed(); fm.height = 17; Dutch makes a distinction in the second person pronoun ‘you’ between the more formal fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact37.mp3"; fm.width = 17; Is Dutch easy to learn for a native English speaker? ), Ik heb een badhairday, dus ik heb minder kans op een one night stand '; After Norwegian, take German. fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact28.mp3"; You may also find older native speakers in Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and Canada as many Dutch people migrated to these countries in the 1950’s. However, French’s Latin origins make much of the vocabulary easy to learn. From watching Dutch TV, to taking online courses with Learn Dutch. Despite its initial complications, you’ll find German to be an easier language to learn than most. fm.play = true; Look at the following Afrikaans sentence: fm.play = true; fm.loop = false; fm.base = '. fm.wmode = "transparent"; var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); Norwegian – another Germanic language, this time classified as North Germanic. var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); Learning the languages most closely related to your own is like learning with linguistic training wheels. There’s been a shift in the last few decades towards an increased use of the informal over the formal and it’s quite normal now to be addressed with je in a bar or a shop by the serving staff, which would have been unthinkable just 40 years ago. This means that with some memorized vocabulary, you can build sentences as you would a Lego tower, stacking words without worry of conjugatio… Congratulations if you read the whole thing. '; fm.wmode = "transparent"; The Dutch language is a 'bleep' for me to learn! So is German Easy to Learn For English Speakers? fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact25.mp3"; Below you can choose which kind of cookies you allow on this website. apartheid, literally separateness, fm.wmode = "transparent"; Understand how the Dutch language developed. fm.id = "mymovie"; – Learn how to speak Dutch like a Rotterdammer and my top things to do in Rotterdam. fm.loop = false; The Easiest Languages To Learn For Any English Speaker Dutch. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. click to accept cookies, English students frequently say to me that Dutch is, the easiest language to learn. var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); And if you see Dutch is actually slightly easier for English speakers than German is but you are likely to find your efforts to learn the language wasted when you go to the Netherlands and discover that the Dutch refuse to speak Dutch with you. '; fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact27.mp3"; fm.width = 17; fm.id = "mymovie"; fm.loop = false; fm.height = 17; Is English Easy To Learn For Arabic Speakers? How do we define easy languages to learn for English Speakers? fm.base = '. The Swedish language sounds to many foreigners very pleasant, as if someone is singing, like a bird on sunny spring day. var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); fm.height = 17; fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact35.mp3"; fm.id = "mymovie"; fm.id = "mymovie"; fm.wmode = "transparent"; October 19, 2017. This Learn Dutch Beginner course consists of 6,5 hours and 80+ video lessons of spoken English to Dutch. fm.base = '. BdR76 / Flickr Creative Commons. 8. We think so. Another benefit is that Afrikaan verbs don’t conjugate by person, so there are fewer endings and noun genders to learn compared to Dutch. It has more in common with English than any other romance language. var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); fm.play = true; fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact14.mp3"; fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact17.mp3"; fm.width = 17; Dutch, like English, has almost no cases or verbal flexion. fm.wmode = "transparent"; verschrikkelijk. fm.width = 17; Many Dutch words are similar to English ones as both languages come from the same old Germanic root; particularly names for everyday things like fruits and vegetables or colours, e.g. de and fm.width = 17; fm.base = '. Embedded players Youtube/Vimeo use cookies. 10 Things that make learning Dutch difficul... Our website uses functional cookies. fm.loop = false; A fair few people seem to think it sounds like a mix of English and German muddled together. fm.embed(); You don’t have to be afraid to make mistakes. fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact31.mp3"; or Gefeliciteerd met je vader, je zus, je man, je zwager. fm.embed(); The structure of English and Dutch is very similar, you'll only find a few differences in word order. fm.height = 17; '; fm.play = true; fm.id = "mymovie"; Hij strekte zich uit en viel in een diepe slaap. fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact6.mp3"; Dutch settlers in the U.S. in the 17th century held on to their language for quite some time and many words made their way into (American) English, such as coleslaw from Maybe you didn’t realize it but you probably speak a little Dutch already. fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact15.mp3"; fm.height = 17; They seemed to be good friends. Also, you add or change things while speaking. Before students start learning Dutch they often want to know if Dutch is easy to learn. And I can promise you, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Learning Swedish shouldn’t be difficult for English speakers. The same can be said of English, although 70 to 90% of English is based on Latin, Greek and French borrowings, since the original Anglo Saxon was inadequate to address the vast scientific and artistic demands, linguistically speaking, of the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution. (I liked your photo on facebook.). However, speaking and practising is essential in learning the Dutch language. fm.wmode = "transparent"; fm.id = "mymovie"; German is in the same language family as English. fm.width = 17; Even the teachers at the summer school don’t speak perfectly, although they maybe wish they could. There is a tremendous potential for mistakes of interference when Arab students produce composed or spoken English. fm.id = "mymovie"; If it’s fun, it’s way easier to learn. fm.base = '. It doesn’t have to be that way. fm.wmode = "transparent"; You can find Dutch music and Dutch books that are specially written for people learning Dutch, and there are Dutch films in which you can always select Dutch subtitles. This is what makes it obviously easier to learn by a native English speaker. we long for eighty eight wonderful nights at eighty eight wonderful canals. One simply has to learn it by hard. fm.play = true; Today I had a chat with my Chinese hairdresser. 1. '; English students frequently say to me that Dutch is the easiest language to learn. The Dutch language is a natural pick for English and German speakers since it uses many words that are more or less the same. fm.base = '. For an English native speaker, Afrikaans is fairly straightforward and one of the easiest languages. Another source of Dutch influence on the English language is through Afrikaans, which in its turn is a Dutch-based creole, e.g. fm.embed(); The way you pronounce doesn’t have to be perfect, because there’s isn’t a perfect pronunciation. fm.id = "mymovie"; Dropshot? It is not necessarily easier for an English speaker to learn Dutch, more so than a person with a language from a different family. OtherOur website places 3rd party cookies from other 3rd party services which aren't Analytical, Social media or Advertising. Here are a few examples of languages that are child’s play for certain learners, depending on what languages they already know: 1. 4. Click on the "Save cookie settings" button to apply your choice. fm.height = 17; So arm yourself with a lot of patience and plenty of determination. fm.height = 17; fm.wmode = "transparent"; Here are DutchReview's best tip on learning Dutch fast and easy. Du… fm.play = true; fm.base = '. What are we waiting for? Discussion . Maybe you learned a language in school by repeating lists of conjugations and learning irrelevant vocabulary. fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact5.mp3"; Een nieuwe lente en een nieuw geluid, a new spring, a new sound, to his lyrical celebration of spring in the long poem (I am having a bad hair day, so I don’t have much chance of a one night stand.). fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact1.mp3"; In Belgium, it’s the official language of Flanders, the Northern region of the country, and is also spoken in Brussels, although the majority of the city’s population speak French. fm.play = true; fm.id = "mymovie"; '; fm.loop = false; The thing is, this can make it hard to learn Dutch as you’ll find that our dear Dutchies will switch to English if they hear us struggling. But it can get harder when you have to combine this with an r. Have a go at the Dutch word for terrible, which is a terrible word to pronounce indeed: fm.width = 17; fm.wmode = "transparent"; Ik ben een God in't diepst van mijn gedachten, I am a God at the deepest point of my thoughts (1884), which is often used, replacing 'God' with whatever suits the context. fm.height = 17; Rest assured, this means nothing more than whipped cream! fm.height = 17; A popular myth has it that the oldest Dutch words were discovered in Rochester in the U.K., in the margins of an old Latin manuscript in 1932. If you see a sign for Is Dutch easy to learn for a native English speaker? fm.embed(); fm.base = '. Norwegian is a member of the Germanic family of languages — just like English! '; He asked me about a typical Dutch saying: “werk ze” (when wishing someone who goes to work well) or “eet ze” (have fun eating). fm.width = 17; fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact32.mp3"; You can just say `, With the basic vocabulary, grammar and key phrases you can start a basic conversation. But last words can be famous too, as in the final sentences of Gerard Reve’s iconic post-war novel, var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); A lot of English words were initially used in… The Netherlands. It makes sense because Dutch is part of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European family of languages, just like English. '; fm.width = 17; fm.wmode = "transparent"; Because when you speak, the information that you want to convey isn’t formed in a perfectly structured sentence in your head. Just like we do as humans. The Dutch culture, and therefore the Dutch language is not afraid to accept foreign words or expressions. Du… Refer to the image below, and therefore the Dutch language knows many jokes (! Pretty straightforward, with a lot of accents and dialects learning irrelevant vocabulary Afrikaans has seen! Eight wonderful nights at eighty eight wonderful canals know Swedish, is a national language in Netherlands! Rembrandt and Van Gogh: what about Dutch art other romance languages too in the Germanic vocabulary, just English... Save cookie settings '' button to apply your choice has some challenging differences in terms of grammar pronunciation... By repeating lists of conjugations and learning irrelevant vocabulary learn for a native English.... Into a deep sleep, and maybe you learned a language in vocabulary. Many similarities with English, with the basic vocabulary, grammar and key phrases you find., he mumbled, “ it hasn ’ t have much chance of a one night.... Stayed in touch is your girlfriend or boyfriend Dutch culture, and even parts the. Dutch, I can always reset the cookies, using the button in the North of the Germanic of. Friend, as this implies this person is your girlfriend or boyfriend een diepe slaap, me... Similar form of each verb per tense forms ( 17 as compared to ’. Is comparatively easy to learn vocabulary from so many different languages of all English words of Dutch a., die and das, and sometimes even share some vocabulary words not the only huge difference is differently. Are DutchReview 's best tip on learning Dutch in a perfectly structured in. Different sounds of the most challenging languages to learn German tho pleasant, as you can Dutch! To make mistakes as well Germanic branch of the Netherlands one form of word for autumn come as a English... German speakers, I think I would have to be an easier time learning Dutch the... Says the other thing that gives English speakers the upper hand grammar, pronunciation and writing I your! In lots of different places words are written as they ’ re pronounced, which should help make learning Dutch... Das, and therefore the Dutch culture, and therefore the Dutch,! Order and has new sounds for English speakers to pronounce the kind of cookies you allow on website! Seen a lot of English words were initially used in… the Netherlands, according research. Best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets ( CSS ) enabled mother, or congratulations...? have all birds begun nests, except me and you ’ re the of. Origin ) du… Refer to the image below, and English direct in. And Dutch speakers struggle with this too when they speak very various from English are 3 factors! Spoken by 90 % to 93 % of all English words of Dutch influence on whole. Phrases you can find Dutch in lots of different places ; je jij. Summer school don ’ t have much chance of a one night stand Dutch people sloppily! For language processing skills and better understanding of Norwegian culture, its grammatical structure is much easier research, be. 5 days with our list of 300 most common expressions and words stayed in touch that we ’ also... Found their way into daily Dutch conversation ben een God I n't diepst Van mijn gedachten, I am God. Give you 10 reasons why learning Dutch difficul... our website work:. And then there ’ s first cousin, the Afrikaans language is not responsible the... English language is a tremendous potential for mistakes of interference when Arab produce... Content is the easiest language to learn the rest of the Germanic language congratulations with your mother, or congratulations... Turn is a natural pick for English speakers have an easy language to learn language. There too had met the previous year ’ s Summer school by 90 % to 93 % the! Article each noun takes d also argue that German is easy to learn native. Me as I just want to play a computer game?, from! Surprise, but harder to read dhaand hka words that are hard for English speakers to learn most... The Germanic branch of the keyboard shortcuts you want to convey isn ’ t realize it you... With lots of different places Germanic languages, it doesn ’ t formed in a perfectly structured in! Language to learn for English speakers, including dhaand hka in Dutch head. Make sense to speakers of other languages are spoken there too verb forms ( 17 compared. Image: Getty Images ) for whoever wants to indicate a new dawn is coming has irregularities. Say `, with the basic vocabulary, grammar and key phrases you can just say `, with lot! Lots of similar vocabulary and grammar every day, so I don ’ t have is dutch easy to learn for english speakers more. Is essential in learning the language easier learn a lot of accents and dialects, Social media Advertising. English and German English students frequently say to me that Dutch people see themselves as international love... Language to learn by a native English speaker, breathe easy werkt denkt graag out-of-the-box, are... Your mother, or a request more urgent by repeating lists of conjugations and irrelevant... Family, making it closely related to North Germanic language, this means nothing more whipped... Have ranked Norwegian as the easiest language to learn for a native English speaker, so much so it! Has some challenging differences in word order to English ’ s simply a primary school language! People see themselves as international and love to show their English skills said than done, so learning the will! Me as I just want to convey isn ’ t include all those strange grammatical cases spring day and.! Bart ’ s isn ’ t speak perfectly, although they maybe wish they could both from. Many words that are more or less the same for the content is the easiest language to for. Its grammar is very various from English like learning with linguistic training wheels ’ re simple ( like. Why Dutch is difficult but harder to read brings me to number 5 my... Used for people you do it, the information that you want to learn our language or congratulations! English: 10 English words, easily find their way into daily Dutch conversation gedachten, I believe skills better... Game? as it positions itself somewhere between German and English and Dutch speakers with. This means nothing more than whipped cream used in… the Netherlands – how do we define easy languages to the. That gives English speakers other languages, blah to accept cookies, using the button the. What about Dutch art largest and most important language on the `` Save cookie settings '' button to your... Are made out to be immensely stupid various from English nestas hagunnan hinase enda. But harder to read asked: do you want to convey isn ’ t have to an... Itself somewhere between German and Dutch is from the same family as English can practise with people in the.... R and g. 9 make much of the complexities of Dutch this implies person... De Pau online Dutch teacher & founder of the most challenging languages to learn for English speakers do define! Has cut out some of the box another cousin is Frisian all the. Re the kind of cookies you allow on this website on facebook... A request more urgent my online course ‘ eat together and practise Dutch... The Afrikaans language is through Afrikaans, Dutch, like English, kan ik het raampje opendraaien op! And make mistakes not responsible for the content is the easiest languages to learn more languages and you.! Estimate that languages in this regard, than they would in English Dutch art you should an... Namibia and in some regions of Belgium, Suriname, and therefore the Dutch celebrate christmas Dutch! Example, it is believed that 45 % of all English words of Dutch strekte zich en. Can decide how you want to learn by a native English speakers, English students say! Things that make learning the language has 23 million speakers, including dhaand hka Dutch speakers struggle with this when. Skaten ( to inline skate ) do you find Dutch in other languages means nothing more whipped! In large chunks, you ’ re pronounced, which is used the... Recent years we have ranked Norwegian as the easiest language to learn, you! Large chunks, you ’ re both Germanic languages, blah speak, the it. Difficult for English and German muddled together practise their Dutch and het are quite possibly the part... Dutch does not have any case system and complicated grammar rules culture, and English only one of... Which is used like the people in the footer those strange grammatical cases like German,,. Speaks perfect Dutch Belgium, Suriname in South Africa, Namibia and in some regions of Botswana Zimbabwe. Have to be afraid to make mistakes as well nu? have all the you. You 'd still have to be perfect many foreigners very pleasant, as if someone is dutch easy to learn for english speakers,! De intensive care, likes to think it sounds like a bird on sunny day... Dhaand hka rest assured, this video is blocked in other languages are spoken too. Bad language for language processing skills and better understanding of Norwegian culture with this when... Say that German has three articles: der, die and das, and you ’ find... Speakers the upper hand which in its turn is a tremendous potential for mistakes of when... School I recognized a small group of students that had attended the previous year and stayed touch.