Is Dutch hard?

So what’s involved if you want to learn Dutch … and is it hard?!

• Dutch and English are cousins, descended from the same language! In fact, among the major languages, Dutch is the closest relative of English.
• This means that picking up the basics is really not hard, and you can guess a lot of the words. For example, what do you think “ik drink een bier” means?
• There are some striking similarities in the grammar: English has “I sing”, “I sang” and “I have sung”; Dutch has “ik zing”, “ik zong” and “ik heb gezongen”!
• Dutch pronunciation can seem a little daunting, with its strong guttural sounds. However, most of the sounds are quite manageable for most English speakers, and you will be understood even if you don't want to put too much pressure on your throat!
• The Dutch language is spelt largely as it is pronounced.
• Dutch grammar can seem a bit difficult, perhaps because it has more inflections than English (different endings on words). But even if you get the endings wrong, you will still be understood, and after a while they tend to become second nature.
• The word order of Dutch can seem rather strange and takes a bit of getting used to – everything can appear jumbled up!
• Although there are dialects in Dutch, everyone also speaks the standard language, so don’t worry about that!
• If you know German, you can very easily pick up Dutch: the two languages are closely related. However, Dutch grammar is generally regarded as being quite a lot easier than that of German.

Under Euroasia style, we have more information about our approach to teaching. If you’re ready to enrol, our Dutch timetable has details of the next Dutch classes with Euroasia! Otherwise, see course options to find out about the types of Dutch courses which we offer. Course outlines might also be useful.