DISCOVERING DUTCH;
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE LANGUAGE
THE DUTCH
ALPHABET
The Dutch alphabet consists of 26
words, just like the English Alphabet !
THE DUTCH
ALPHABET SONG
Did you learn any new words?
Hint: Look at the brackets !
SPECIAL DUTCH PRONUNCIATIONS
B : Changes from a “b” sound to a “p”
sound at the end of a word. “Web” become
“Wehp”.
C : “S” sound before i, e & y. “K” sound
before consonants & a, o, u. Eg. Cent vs.
Confortabel.
D : Changes from a “d” sound to a “t”
sound at the end of a word. “Word”
becomes “Woort”
G : A guttural g/ch sound in the back of
the throat. Like Loch Ness Monster.
SPECIAL DUTCH PRONUNCIATIONS
N : Oftentimes, at the end of a word, “n” is
silent or very light (exceptions include “Ik
ben”)
Q : Q is only used on borrowed words and
is always used together with the letter “u”.
V : Normally pronounced like its English
counterpart but sometimes takes on an “f”
sound. “Vuur (fire)” is pronounced like
“Fuur”.
W : The Dutch “w” is a mixture of an
English “w” and “v”. “Water” is
pronounced as “Vater”
COUNTING FROM 1 TO
20 IN DUTCH
Do you think it’s similar to English ?
BASIC GRAMMAR: DUTCH WORD ORDER
1. SUBJECT + VERB:
Ik praat (I talk)
2. SUBJECT + VERB + DIRECT OBJECT:
Ik praat met mijn vader (I talk to my father)
3. SUBJECT + VERB + DIRECT OBJECT + INDIRECT OBJECT:
Ik praat met mijn vader over ons huis (I talk to my father about our home)
NOTE: To make a negative sentence, place the word “niet” (not) AFTER the verb.
Eg: Ik praat niet met mijn vader (I do not talk to my father).
BASIC GRAMMAR: PERSONAL PRONOUNS
BASIC GRAMMAR: THE FIVE MAIN TENSES
Tense Dutch Conjugation English Translation
Present Simple Ik praat I talk
Past Simple Ik praatte I talked
Present Perfect Ik heb gepraat I have talked
Past Perfect Ik had gepraat I had talked
Future Simple Ik zal praten I will talk
BASIC GRAMMAR: THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT
VERBS
Zijn (To Be): Hebben (To Have):
Ik ben (I am) Ik heb (I have)
Jij bent (You are, singular) Jij hebt (You have, singular)
Hij/Zij is (He/She is) Hij/Zij heeft (He/She has)
Wij zijn (We are) Wij hebben (We have)
Jullie zijn (You are, plural) Jullie hebben (You have, plural)
Zij zijn (They are) Zij hebben (They have)
BASIC GRAMMAR: THE DUTCH PLURAL
ADD -EN: ADD -‘S:
Kat (Cat) becomes Katten (Cats) For nouns that end in a long vowel.
Baby (Baby) becomes Baby’s (Babies)
ADD -S:
ADD -EREN OR -A:
For words that end in -en, -el, -em, or -er.
Kind (Child) becomes Kinderen
Appel (Apple) becomes Appels (Apples) (Children)
Museum (Museum)) becomes (Musea)
BASIC GRAMMAR: GENDER & ARTICLES
Masculine Feminine Neutral
Definite De man De vrouw Het huis
Singular
Definite Plural De mannen De vrouwen De huizen
Indefinite Een man Een vrouw Een huis
Singular
NOTE: CLICK HERE FOR EXTRA GRAMMAR NOTES
https://www.dutchpod101.com/blog/2021/03/18/dutch-grammar-overvie
w/
BASIC CONVERSATIONAL PHRASES
Hallo! — Hello!
Goedemorgen! — Good morning!
Goedemiddag! — Good afternoon!
Goedenavond! — Good evening!
Welterusten! — Good night!
Dag! — Bye!
Tot ziens! — See you later!
Tot morgen! — See you tomorrow!
Hoe gaat het? — How are you?
Wat is je naam? — What is your name?
Mijn naam is [je naam]. — My name is [your name].
BASIC CONVERSATIONAL PHRASES
Alsjeblieft (informal) — Please
Alstublieft (formal) — Please
Dank je (informal) — Thank you
Dank u (formal) — Thank you
Graag gedaan — You’re welcome
Sorry — Sorry
Excuseer me — Excuse me
Ja — Yes
Nee — No
Misschien — Maybe
Ik weet het niet — I don’t know
DISCOVERING DUTCH;
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CULTURE
INTRODUCTION TO DUTCH
● Dutch is a West Germanic language that originated from Old Frankish and
evolved over time, reaching its modern form during the 17th century.
● Closely related to English and German, Dutch has played a key role in global
history, particularly during the Dutch Golden Age when the Netherlands was a
major colonial power.
● Today, Dutch remains important in business, law, and diplomacy, especially
within the European Union. Its historical influence is still evident in parts of
Africa, the Americas, and Asia, where it left cultural and linguistic marks.
THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF DUTCH
TODAY
● Dutch is primarily spoken in the Netherlands and Northern Belgium
(Flanders), with official status in Suriname and the Caribbean islands of
Aruba, Curaçao, and Saint Maarten.
● There are approximately 24 million native Dutch speakers, with an additional 5
million speaking it as a second language. Although its global presence is limited
compared to other languages, Dutch plays a crucial role in regional and
international contexts, particularly in Europe and former Dutch colonies.
CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THE DUTCH AND FRENCH FLAG ?
THE DUTCH FLAG
Red Band: This symbolizes bravery,
strength, valor, and hardiness
White Band: This symbolizes peace
and honesty
Blue Band: This symbolizes vigilance,
truth, loyalty, perseverance, and
justice
DUTCH ART & ARCHITECTURE
Starry Night, Vincent Van Gogh. The Canals of Amsterdam
(A UNESCO World Heritage Site)
The Anne Frank House
Girl with a Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer. The Royal Palace of Amsterdam
FAMOUS DUTCH FIGURES
Eddie Van Halen,
Anne Frank, Legendary Guitarist
Jewish Diarist & Holocaust Victim
Max Verstappen, 3x Formula WDC
Vincent Van Gogh, Rembrandt van Rijn,
Iconic Post-Impressionist Painter Iconic Golden Age Painter
LET’S PLAY DUTCH WORD BINGO !
Instructions:
1. A Bingo Card will be handed out.
2. The Game leader will show
images that correspond to a word
on the Bingo Card.
3. Players will mark the matching
Dutch words on their Bingo
Card.
4. Once every square is marked, the
player will call “BINGO !”
5. Whoever calls “BINGO !” first
wins the game.
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15. 16.
17. 18. 19. 20.
21. 22. 23. 24.
ANSWERS !!
kat. paard auto dokter
ingenieur blauw trein groen
geel leraar vliegtuig hond
soep rijst appel melk
advocaat paars brandweerman varken
brood fiets rood konijn
HET EINDE
Hope You Enjoyed !
