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Learning Dutch
Did you know?Clear, free explanations by TaalTaal: grammar, words and the situations you meet every day. Each topic ends with a few questions to test yourself.
Dutch grammar and spelling
- Niet or geen?How to say 'not' in Dutch. Ik heb geen vork, de soep is niet warm. When does Dutch use geen, when niet, and where does niet go in the sentence? With the traps.A1
- Dutch prepositionsOp, onder, aan and the rest. Op, boven, onder, naast, tussen: the little Dutch words for where something is, why a picture hangs aan de muur, and why you are op school.A1
- De or het?The rules and the tricks. When is a Dutch word de and when het? The rules that always work, the patterns that help, and how to practise.A1
- Funny mistakes in DutchAnd what you meant. Ik ben koud, ik heb een kater, how is your sun? Why these slips happen so often, what you actually said, and what you meant.A2
- Je or u?Formal and informal you in Dutch. When do the Dutch say u and when je? What 'zeg maar je' means, why it's 'heb je' but 'u heeft', and the traps when you first meet someone.A2
- Dutch pluralsBoom, bomen and paprika's. Why boeken, tafels and paprika's? When Dutch takes -en, -s or 's, why bomen and bussen, and the words that just do it differently.A2
- Want or omdat?Giving reasons in Dutch. Want de trein had vertraging, but omdat de trein vertraging had: why the verb moves after omdat and daarom, and the traps.A2
- Past tense't kofschip (or soft ketchup) explained. Werkte or werkde? The trick Dutch children learn, 't kofschip, for the past tense of regular verbs, and the irregular ones to learn by heart.A2
- Dutch word orderWhy the verb goes to the end. Why Dutch says 'Morgen ga ik' and 'omdat ik ziek ben': the word order rules explained simply.A2
- Het woordje er NLVier betekenissen van één klein woord. Er is, ik woon er, ik heb er drie, ik denk er niet aan: de vier soorten er uitgelegd, met de valkuilen.B1
- Dutch separable verbsIk bel je op. Why ik bel je op, but ik wil je opbellen? When a Dutch verb splits in two, when it stays together, and how the stress gives it away.B1
- Hoewel, tenzij, mitsHarder Dutch clauses. Tenzij or mits, zodra or voordat, waarover or met wie: the hard Dutch link words of B2, what they mean and where the verb goes.B2
- The Dutch passiveWorden, zijn and door. De muur wordt geverfd, is geverfd, werd geverfd: how the Dutch passive works, when to use door and er wordt, and why passive mails blame nobody.B2
- CEFR levels explainedFrom A1 to C2. What do A1 to C2 mean, and which level do you need for civic integration, work and study?A1-C2
Living in the Netherlands
- Greetings in DutchHoi, doei and goedemorgen. Hoi, hallo, goedemorgen, doei and tot ziens: how to say hello and goodbye in Dutch, and what to answer to 'Fijne dag!'.A1
- Telling the time in DutchWhy half drie is 2:30. Half drie, kwart over drie, tien voor half vier: how the Dutch clock works, and the one mistake that makes you an hour late.A1
- Checking in and outThe OV-chipkaart in Dutch. Inchecken, uitchecken, overstappen: the words of Dutch public transport, and the one mistake that costs you money.A1
- Your phone in DutchCalling, voicemail and fake texts. Why the Dutch answer the phone with 'Met' and their name, what to say on voicemail, and how to spot a fake text from 'your bank'.A2
- The huisartsHow Dutch healthcare starts. What a huisarts (GP) does, when to call, what to say on the phone, and when to go to the hospital instead.A2
Working in the Netherlands
- Ordering in DutchMag ik, kan ik, zullen we. Mag ik een koffie, or kan ik? How you order, offer and pay in a Dutch café, and the mistakes everyone makes, from ik zal hebben to ik ben vol.A2
- Applying for a jobIn the Netherlands. The Dutch way of applying: the CV, the letter, the interview, and the words you will hear.A2
- Je loonstrook begrijpen NLBruto, netto, loonheffing en vakantiegeld: wat er op je loonstrook staat, regel voor regel.B1
- Dutch idioms at workDoors, cats and knots. Met de deur in huis vallen, de kat uit de boom kijken, rekening houden met: what they mean, the fixed little word, and when they fit.B2
Language in depth
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At the end of the course, you will receive a certificate with your proficiency level. We use the standardized Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), also known as ERK in Dutch.
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