Learn Dutch In

7 DAYS

The Ultimate Crash Course to Learning the

Basics of the Dutch Language in No Time

By Dagny Taggart
© Copyright 2015

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced -mechanically, electronically, or by
any other means, including photocopying- without the permission of the publisher.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this book is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects
discussed. The author's books are only meant to provide the reader with the basics knowledge of a
certain language, without any warranties regarding whether the student will, or will not, be able to
incorporate and apply all the information provided. Although the writer will make her best effort
share her insights, language learning is a difficult task, and each person needs a different timeframe to
fully incorporate a new language. This book, nor any of the author's books constitute a promise that
the reader will learn a certain language within a certain timeframe.
 Table of Contents
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Introduction: Are You Ready for an Amazing Journey?

Important Facts About the Dutch Language

Tips to Start Off

PART 1: ACQUIRING THE BASICS

Chapter 1: The Alphabet

Chapter 2: Introductions, Greetings and Common Words

2.1 Presenting yourself

2.2 Days, months and numbers
Your turn (Chapter 2)
Answers(Chapter 2)

Chapter 3: Telling the Time

Your turn (chapter 3)

Answers (Chapter 3)

Chapter 4: Travelling to the Netherlands

PART 2: GETTING TO KNOW THE DUTCH LANGUAGE

Chapter 5: An introduction to the Dutch city

Your turn / Jouw beurt (Chapter 5 / Hoofdstuk 5)

Answers / Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 5)

Chapter 6: The Family

Your turn / Jouw beurt (Chapter 6 / Hoofdstuk 6)
Answers / Antwoorden (Chapter 6 / Hoofdstuk 6)

Chapter 7: The Weather (Het Weer)

Your turn / Jouw beurt (Chapter 7 / Hoofdstuk 7)

Antwoorden (Chapter 7 / Hoofdstuk 7)

Chapter 8: Shopping and Eating Out

Your turn / Jouw beurt (Chapter 8 / Hoofdstuk 8)

Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 8)

Chapter 9: Seeing the Doctor (Naar de Dokter)

Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 9)

Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 9)

Chapter 10: Finding Accommodation

Het vinden van onderdak

Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 10)
Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 10)

Chapter 11: The Bank

Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 11)

Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 11)

Chapter 12: Travelling by Bus and Taxi

Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 12)

Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 12)

Chapter 13: Work and Hobbies

Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 13)

Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 13)

PART 3: GRAMMAR TIME

Chapter 14: Nouns

Jouw beurt oefening 1(Hoofdstuk 14)

Jouw beurt oefening 2 (Hoofdstuk 14)
Jouw beurt oefening 3 (Hoofdstuk 13)
Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 14)

Chapter 15: Adjectives (Bijvoeglijke Naamwoorden)

Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 15)

Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 15)

Chapter 16: Using Pronouns (Voornaamwoorden Gebruiken)

Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 16)

Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 16)

Chapter 17: Emotions and Descriptions (Emoties en Beschrijvingen)

Jouw beurt 1 (Hoofdstuk 17)

Jouw beurt 2 (Hoofdstuk 17)
Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 17)

Chapter 18: Making Comparisons (Vergelijkingen Maken)

Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 18)

Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 18)

Chapter 19: Time for Verbs (Tijd voor Werkwoorden)

Jouw beurt 1 (Hoofdstuk 19)

Jouw beurt 2 (Hoofdstuk 19)
Jouw beurt 3 (Hoofdstuk 19)
Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 19)
Chapter 20: Adverbs and Prepositions (Bijwoorden en Voorzetsels)

Adverbs
Prepositions
Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 20)
Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 20)

Conclusion: Now,Your Adventure Will Really Start!

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About the Author

Dedicated to those who love going beyond their own frontiers.

Keep on traveling,

Dagny Taggart
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 Introduction
Are You Ready for an Amazing Journey?
Getting to know different countries is a worthy experience for every single human being. Upon
travelling and holidays we might encounter a language that we may not speak. What if you consider
going to the Netherlands? You may even encounter the love of your life.

Then learning Dutch is a must! One great way of getting to know the basics of the Dutch language is
this book. The Netherlands is a beautiful country and its language may not always be as easy to learn.
However, it can be a great experience too! This course is aimed at helping you with learning Dutch.

While reading this book, you will find out that many Dutch words are not that hard after all. A vast
number of loanwords from the English language are incorporated in Dutch too, making it a little
easier to start off for anyone. Moreover, with the same alphabet, many people may find it easier to
learn Dutch compared to Scandinavian or Asian languages.

If you are still not convinced why learning a new language is such a useful investment, then do not
stop reading. Imagine your employer wanting to put you in a project that involves Dutch language, you
will be the first one to pick. Moreover, Dutch people love travelling and you might encounter them in
other countries. But Dutch is not just spoken in the Netherlands; Belgian people speak it too, as well
as inhabitants of the Netherlands Antilles.

Finally, learning Dutch also challengesyou. If you are capable of speaking Dutch, you are proving
yourself what you are capable of. It always comes in handy when you encounter Dutch people. The
ability to speak with them might perhaps make you some great friends!
 Important Facts About the Dutch Language
Did you know that apart from the Netherlands and Belgium, Dutch is also spoken in
Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Suriname. Moreover, you may encounter Dutch as
well in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, South Africa and Australia?

On a worldwide basis, approximately 30 million Dutch-speaking people can be found. A

large majority (28 million) can be found in the European Union.

Currently, the Dutch language consists of over 60 million words, including all different
verb tenses.

A significant share of the Dutch language consists of English loanwords that have been
integrated in the Dutch dictionary, allowing learners of the language to identify
themselves more easily with Dutch.

Dutch is a West Germanic language, as well as German. For this reason, Dutch and
German have many similarities, allowing inhabitants from both countries to communicate
with each other more easily than with people who arenot from former West Germanic
countries.
 Tips to Start Off
Be flexible and open-minded

You speak at least one language and while learning another language, you may find yourself in
situations you want to get out of. However, you are learning Dutch, so try to be flexible and
let the problems get to you. It might get you into a better situation.

Do not be afraid of making mistakes

This may seem fairly straightforward, however, upon learning a new language, one will be
exposed to hard rules and vocabulary, which at first might scare one off. What people often
do not realize, is that taking a risk could be good. Moreover, making mistakes is a great way
of learning very fast!

Try to incorporate a Dutch mindset

At a certain moment in time, you start to think and dream in Dutch. This is a really important
point and you should definitely aim at reaching this goal. From past experience I can tell that
when I learnt English and Spanish, the moment I started thinking in this language really
changed me as a person. Daily activities and conversations will start to pass in review with
much more fun and a feeling of pride will overwhelm you without a doubt.

Talk to native speakers

Whenever someone emigrates to a different country, this person may speak the language quite
soon already. This is no surprise, as being surrounded by native speakers is one of the most
effective and most fun ways of actually learning a language. Chatting with native speakers
will benefit you in various ways; not only will it improve your skills, it will also provide you
with some cultural background!
PART 1: ACQUIRING THE BASICS
 Chapter 1
The Alphabet
How could you learn Dutch if you do not know how to introduce yourself? We will start this course
by learning some basics of presenting yourself, greeting others and basic topics of the first
conversations you will be able to have. Before we start introducing ourselves and become familiar
with the best ways of greeting people, it is important to be aware of the pronunciation each letter in
the Dutch alphabet has. As already mentioned, the Dutch alphabet is exactly the same as in English,
but in order for you to learn it as accurately as possible, you will need to know how to pronounce
Dutch words and letters. Below you will find the Dutch alphabet.

Each letter is followed by the way English speaking people can phonetically pronounce the letters
from the Dutch alphabet. It is fairly straightforward, however, pay attention to the “G”, “U”, and “Y”.
Pronounce the letters out loud with care.

Letter Pronunciation Letter Pronunciation Letter Pronunciation

A [ah] J [yay] S [es]
B [bay] K [ka] T [tay]
C [say] L [el] U [Düsseldorf]
D [day] M [em] V [convey]
E [ay] N [en] W [way]
F [ef] O [boat] X [ix]
G [hr]* P [pay] Y [eye]
H [ha] Q [kuu] Z [zet]
I [ee] R [er]

* Note: the Dutch “G” is a hard G, a sounds which you get when you scrape your throat.
To prevent confusion in future pronunciation, different vowels are often combined in Dutch words,
causing a new sound the pronounced. Please pay close attention to these as well:

Vowels Pronunciation Vowels Pronunciation Vowels Pronunciation

Aa [ah] Oe [tour] oo [boat]
Ae [eh] Au [how] uu [Düsseldorf]
Ie [leave] Ou [how] ee [ay]
 Chapter 2
Introductions, Greetings and Common Words
Now we have reached the moment where we will actually start to learn how to have general
conversations with Dutch people. Moreover, you will become familiar with your first lists of
vocabulary that always come in useful whilst describing objects. Colors, days and numbers will all
pass in review.
 2.1 Presenting yourself

English Dutch
Hello! My name is Peter. Hallo! Mijn naam is Peter.
What’s your name? Wat is jouw naam? / Hoe heet je?
Good afternoon. I am John. Goedemiddag. Ik ben John. / Ik heet
John.
How are you? Hoe gaat het met je?
I am great. Met mij gaat het goed.
Where are you from? Waar kom je vandaan?
I am from Germany. Ik kom uit Duitsland.
I am French. I am a teacher. Ik ben Frans. Ik ben een leraar.
I live in Amsterdam. Where do you Ik woon in Amsterdam. Waar woon
live? je?
How old are you? Hoe oud ben jij?
I am 17 years old. Ik ben 17 jaar oud.

The Dutch word for ‘you’ can be either ‘jij’ or ‘je’. It is up to you which one to use. However,
whenever you are addressing someone formal, it is regarded more polite to use ‘u’. The following
examples will illustrate this:

English Dutch
Grandmother, how old are you? Oma, hoe oud bent u?
Professor Stevens, will you help me? Professor Stevens, kunt u me helpen?

There are various distinctions in how you can Greet people. We can use informal ways of speech
(‘hello’) or formal ones. In terms of greetings, English and Dutch hardly differ.

English Dutch
Hello Hallo
Good morning Goedemorgen
Good afternoon Goedemiddag
Good evening Goedenavond
See you tomorrow! Tot morgen!
This morning Vanmorgen
This afternoon Vanmiddag
Tonight Vanavond
 2.2 Days, months and numbers

2.2.1 Days of the week and months of the year

English Dutch
Monday Maandag
Tuesday Dinsdag
Wednesday Woensdag
Thursday Donderdag
Friday Vrijdag
Saturday Zaterdag
Sunday Zondag

The Dutch way of asking someone what day it is, is very much similar to the English way. Below you
can find how you can ask or answer this question.

English Dutch
What day is it today? Welke dag is het
vandaag?
Today is Wednesday. Vandaag is het
woensdag.

Knowing the exact date is even more convenient, especially when you are having a discussion about
this with someone. Referring to either yesterday or tomorrow is also very useful in each conversation.

English Dutch
January Januari
February Februari
March Maart
April April
May Mei
June Juni
July Juli
August Augustus
September September
October Oktober
November November
December December

English Dutch
Yesterday Gisteren
Today Vandaag
Tomorrow Morgen
The day after tomorrow Overmorgen

* Note: Contrary to the English language, the days and months are not capitalized in daily use in
Dutch.

English Dutch
What is today’s date? Welke datum is het vandaag?
Today is Wednesday March 11. Vandaag is het woensdag 11
maart.
What is tomorrow’s date? Welke datum is het morgen?
Tomorrow it will be Friday March Morgen is het vrijdag 13 maart.
13.

2.2.2 Most commonly used numbers

English Dutch English Dutch

Zero Nul Ten Tien
One Één Eleven Elf
Two Twee Twelve Twaalf
Three Drie Thirteen Dertien
Four Vier Fourteen Veertien
Five Vijf Fifteen Vijftien
Six Zes Sixteen Zestien
Seven Zeven Seventeen Zeventien
Eight Acht Eighteen Achttien
Nine Negen Nineteen Negentien

English Dutch English Dutch

Twenty Twintig Sixty Zestig
Twenty-one Eenentwintig Seventy Zeventig
Twenty-two Tweeëntwintig Eighty Tachtig
Twenty-three Drieëntwintig Ninety Negentig
Twenty-four Vierentwintig One hundred Honderd
Twenty-five Vijfentwintig Two hundred Tweehonderd
Thirty Dertig (One) thousand Duizend
Forty Veertig (One) million Miljoen
Fifty Vijftig (One) billion Miljard

English Dutch English Dutch

First Eerste Sixth Zesde
Second Tweede Seventh Zevende
 Third Derde Eighth Achtste
Fourth Vierde Ninth Negende
Fifth Vijfde Tenth Tiende

Dealing with numbers with a comma

3.6 Drie komma zes / Drie punt 2.9 Twee komma negen / Twee punt
zes negen
4.2 Vier komma twee / Vier punt 6.5 Zes en een half
twee
15.5 Vijftien en een half 7.1 Zeven komma één / Zeven punt één

* “and a half” in English becomes “en een half” in Dutch

2.3 Colors, materials and more useful words

Great! Now you have learned how to count in Dutch. Moreover, you are familiar with some basic
phrases that you can use in conversations. Now it is time to learn some vocabulary. At first, it may
sound a bit dull, but if you are talking to someone, you need to be able to describe objects and things
around you. Now you will encounter various types of vocabulary. Good luck!

2.3.1 Colors and materials

English Dutch English Dutch

Red Rood Iron IJzer
Blue Blauw Steel Staal
Yellow Geel Metal Metaal
Green Groen Plastic Plastic / Kunststof
Orange Oranje Wood Hout
Purple Paars Wool Wol
Pink Roze Cotton Katoen
White Wit Leather Leer
Black Zwart Silk Zijde
Brown Bruin Color Kleur
Grey Grijs Material Stof / Materiaal

2.3.2 The body

Except for the days, months and colors, knowing parts of the body is also a useful addition for each
language you are learning.

English Dutch English Dutch

Head Hoofd Face Gezicht
 Hair Haar Mouth Mond
Nose Neus Eye(s) Oog / Ogen
Arm Arm Shoulder Schouder
Hand Hand Finger Vinger
Leg Been Foot / Feet Voet(en)
Knee Knie Heart Hart

2.3.3 Animals

The final table of this chapter concerns additional vocabulary. Knowing the names of different
animals can be very useful. If you use search engines on the internet, you can help yourself
memorizing the names of the different animals. It is recommendable to read them all several times and
pronounce the names out loud. The following table will provide you with names of commonly
mentioned animals:

English Dutch English Dutch

Dog Hond Cat Kat
Chicken Kip Horse Paard
Tiger Tijger Lion Leeuw
Duck Eend Muis Mouse
Butterfly Vlinder Ant Mier
 Your turn (Chapter 2)

Exercise 1: Who are you?

Please answer the following questions from your own perspective:

(1) Goedemiddag. Hoe heet jij? ___________________________________________

(2) Waar kom je vandaan? _______________________________________________

(3) Waar woon je? _____________________________________________________

(4) Hoe oud ben jij? ____________________________________________________

(5) Welke dag is het vandaag? ______________________________________

(6) Welke datum is het morgen? ____________________________________

Exercise 2: What is the correct number?

Please write out the following numbers in Dutch

17: ________________________________________

29: ________________________________________

63: ________________________________________

54: ________________________________________

Exercise 3: Meet John Walters

“Good afternoon. My name is John Walters. I am 19 years old. I am from England and I currently
live in London. I am writing my first letter to a Dutch exchange student and I need your help.” To
help John please write a short self-narrative about John in Dutch in first person singular. You may use
the tables that you have already encountered before.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
 Answers(Chapter 2)
Exercise 1: Who are you?

(1) Goedemiddag. Ik heet [your name].

(2) Ik kom uit Nederland.

(3) Ik woon in Rotterdam.

(4) Ik ben [your age] jaar oud.

(5) Vandaag is het vrijdag. (example)

(1) Morgen is het zaterdag 28 juni. (example)

Exercise 2: What is the correct number?

Zeventien, negenentwintig, drieënzestig, vierenvijftig

Exercise 3: Meet John Walters

The correct answer may vary, but should be similar to the following:

Goedemiddag. Mijn naam is John Walters, ik ben negentien jaar oud. Ik kom uit Engeland en woon in
Londen.
 Chapter 3
Telling the Time
So far, we have covered the most important basics of the Dutch language. By now you should be able
to introduce yourself by saying your name. Moreover, you can ask this person something in return.
Whether you want to know how old he or she is, or where a person lives; you know it! The next step
is asking and telling what time it is. Before you know, you can communicate with strangers who are
desperate to know what time it is!

Perhaps you have heard it once: the Dutch are very strict when it comes to time. An appointment at
16.15 means an appointment at 16.15 and not one minute later. Therefore, when you will be in the
Netherlands, it is very important for you to know how you can relate to this very easily.

Some notes before we start:

In English it is very common to say ‘half two’ instead of ‘half past two’. It is very
important to note, however, that “half two” (“half twee”) in Dutch is equal to ‘half past
one’. Pay close attention to this to prevent confusion in the future.

All countries where Dutch is the native language make use of a clock with 24 hours.
Therefore, it is not necessary to use AM and PM when talking about time. As you
probably already know, 14.00 refers to 2.00 PM, and so on.

Now it is time to start becoming familiar with reading the clock in Dutch. You have already come
across some terms that will help you to refer to specific moments of the day (morning, afternoon or
evening) or even to another day! Moreover, it is important that you already know how to count. This
will come in very useful when you are referring to the time. However, imagine you are in the
Netherlands and someone asks you the time. Or, you want to know what time it is, and the person you
encounter only speaks Dutch! Well, this chapter will be very helpful in moments like these.

English Dutch
Excuse me. What time is it? Pardon. Hoe laat is het?
It’s twelve o’clock. Het is twaalf uur.
It’s four o’clock. Het is vier uur.

So far, this is fairly easy. However, it is more formal to extend the answer with a description of what
part of the day it is.

English Dutch
It’s two o’clock in the afternoon. Het is twee uur ‘s middags.
It’s half past sixin the morning. Het is half zeven ‘s ochtends.

The last example might illustrate that telling someone what time it is, could be hard sometimes. As
you have noticed, ‘half past six’ means ‘half zeven’ in Dutch. It is very important to remember this
difference. Moreover, the different parts of the day are referred to in a special way:

Time of the day English Dutch

06.00 – 12.00 in the morning ’s morgens
12.00 – 18.00 in the afternoon ‘s middags
18.00 – 00.00 in the evening ’s avonds
00.00 – 06.00 in the morning ‘s nachts

* Note: whereas the English language does not make a distinction between ‘night’ and ‘morning’,
the Dutch language portrays a significant difference.

More detailed situations

Whenever our clocks show the time more exactly, our way of speech also changes. Please note what
difference can be found when the time is different from the examples we have covered so far:

Time English Dutch

18.05 It’s five (minutes) past six. Het is vijf (minuten) over zes.
14.10 It’s ten (minutes) past two. Het is tien (minuten) over twee.
15.15 It’s a quarter past three. Het is vijftien over drie. /
Het is kwart over drie.

The Dutch word ‘over’ is used whenever our clock is 15 minutes past the hour, or less than this. In
cases where it is a quarter past the hour, there are two options. When the clock is approaching the half
hour, the Dutch way of telling time becomes very different from the English way.

Time English Dutch

17.20 It’s twenty (minutes) past five. Het is tien (minuten) voor half zes.
22.25 It’s twenty-five (minutes) past ten. Het is vijf (minuten) voor half
twee.
11.30 It’s half past eleven. Het ishalf twaalf.

This way of noting the time might become clearer when we are looking ahead.

Time English Dutch

17.35 It’s twenty-five (minutes) to six. Het is tien (minuten) over half zes.
12.40 It’s twenty (minutes) to one. Het is tien (minuten) over half één.
13.45 It’s a quarter to two. Het iskwart voor twee.
16.55 It’s five (minutes) to five. Het is vijf voor vijf.
Basically, the English language constantly refers to the hour that is closest on the clock, whereas the
Dutch language includes the half hours as well. Therefore, we see significant differences in noting the
time in each second and third quarter of the hours. However, the structure is still very similar. Read
the examples several times and let it sink. It should then become very clear to you.
 Your turn (chapter 3)
Now it is your turn to write down what time it is. Below you will find several different times that
your digital watch could display. For each time, cross out the wrong answer.

Exercise 1: Which one is wrong?

(1) 19.20 Het is twintig over zeven. Het is tien voor half acht.
(2) 23.45 Het is kwart voor twaalf. Het is kwart over half
twaalf.
(3) 11.05 Het is vijf voor half Het is vijf over elf.
twaalf.
(4) 16.10 Het is tien over vier. Het is tien voor vier.
(5) 05.55 Het is vijf voor half zes. Het is vijf voor zes.
(6) 07.35 Het is vijf over zeven. Het is vijf over half acht.

Exercise 2: Write down the day and time

This exercise requires you to draw upon your knowledge from previous chapters. Please write down
the date and the time in plain Dutch.

(1) 10-02-2015
It’s 11.50

(2) 11-03-2015
It’s 15.20

(3) 14-12-2014
It’s 17.15
 Answers (Chapter 3)

Exercise 1: Which one is wrong?

(1) 19.20 Het is twintig over zeven. Het is tien voor half acht.
(2) 23.45 Het is kwart voor twaalf. Het is kwart over half
twaalf.
(3) 11.05 Het is vijf voor half Het is vijf over elf.
twaalf.
(4) 16.10 Het is tien over vier. Het is tien voor vier.
(5) 05.55 Het is vijf voor half zes. Het is vijf voor zes.
(6) 07.35 Het is vijf over zeven. Het is vijf over half acht.

Exercise 2: Write down the day and time

This exercise requires you to draw upon your knowledge from previous chapters. Please write down
the date and the time in plain Dutch.

(1) 10-02-2015 Vandaag is het 10 februari 2015. Het is tien voor twaalf
It’s 11.50 (‘s morgens).
(2) 11-03- Vandaag is het 11 maart 2015. Het is tien voor half vier
2015It’s 15.20 (’s middags).
(3) 14-12- Vandaag is het 14 december 2014. Het is kwart over vijf
2014It’s 17.15 (’s middags).
 Chapter 4
Travelling to the Netherlands
From this very moment, your actual journey is starting. The whole course will become increasingly
more fun, because you will be able to identify yourself with many situations, especially if you like
travelling. As you now, learning a second (or third) language is very important when you have plans
to travel around the world. Whether you are at the airport or on the bus, you will probably need some
information regarding travelling to the Netherlands. This section typically focuses at travelling to and
in the Netherlands or other native Dutch countries. It helps you understand how you can manage to
save yourself when you enter the country. At the airport, it can become very crowded and stressful,
which provides you little time and space to make yourself feel comfortable. But that’s definitely going
to change now!

English Dutch
Airport Vliegveld
Airplane Vliegtuig
Flying Vliegen
Baggage Bagage
Suitcase Koffer
Passport Paspoort
Check-in Inchecken
Flight Vlucht
Customs Douane
Ticket Ticket
Baggage Claim Area Bagageruim
Gate Hal / Gate
Leave Vertrekken
Arrive Aankomst
Terminal Aankomsthal
Departure Vertrek
Destination Bestemming
Have a nice trip! Fijne reis!
Pilot Piloot
Flight attendant Steward(ess)
Passenger Passagier
Seat Stoel
City Stad
Center Centrum

As you can tell from the table above, some words related to airports are equal in Dutch. This is due
to the fact that travelling by airplane these days is a global thing.
Now, a number of things is important to know when you find yourself at an airport. You might want to
know how to find the way, where you can find a specific shop or where you can find your gate. The
table below displays several useful phrases one may need to use at an airport.

English Dutch
Where is the toilet? Waar is het toilet?
When does flight AB1234 leave? Wanneer vertrekt vlucht AB1234?
Where is gate D12? Waar is gate D12?
How can I find terminal A? Hoe kan ik terminal A vinden?
I cannot find my gate. Ik kan mijn gate niet vinden.
I am flying to Mexico. Ik vlieg naar Mexico.
My plane will leave any moment. Mijn vliegtuig vertrekt ieder moment.

On the plane, you may find yourself talking to someone who speaks Dutch. Knowing some Dutch
phrases is something that people will love to hear. Moreover, it is a way to challenge your own
knowledge, too!

English Dutch
This is my first time in the Dit is mijn eerste keer in Nederland.
Netherlands.
I am learning Dutch. Ik ben Nederlands aan het leren.
The Netherlands is beautiful. Nederland is prachtig.
What is most fun about the Wat is het leukste aan Nederland?
Netherlands?

Here we are! We have just departed and we are ready for a great trip that will end with happy
enthusiasts who have successfully learned the basics of a new language. Your journey has officially
started, yet there is so much more to explore out there. Enjoy the rest of your journey!
 PART 2
GETTING TO KNOW THE DUTCH LANGUAGE
 Chapter 5
An introduction to the Dutch city
Now that you have entered a plethora of Dutch surroundings, it will be a great relief to be able to also
identify with anything that surrounds you. Mostly, you will find yourself in the city a lot. Amsterdam
and Rotterdam, as well as The Hague and Nijmegen are cities that you may find worth visiting. If you
are a keen learner, you will definitely find this chapter very useful. This chapter will expand on all
vocabulary we have had so far. Apart from that, it will provide you with plenty of opportunities to
communicate with Dutch citizens, whether this is in the city centre or in a shop. To help you out, we
will obviously start with the basics.

English Dutch English Dutch

Where Waar And En
What Wat Also / as well Ook
Who Wie Or Of
Why Waarom Because Omdat
When Wanneer With Met
How Hoe Without Zonder

English Dutch
Where can I find the supermarket? Waar kan ik de supermarkt vinden?
Could you help me, please? Kunt u mij alstublieft helpen?
I am lost. Ik ben verdwaald.
My hotel’s name is Hilton. Mijn hotel heet Hilton.
I live in the second house. Ik woon in het tweede huis.

English Dutch
The junction De kruising
The turn De bocht
The traffic light Het stoplicht
The street De straat
The corner De hoek
The block Het blok
Here Hier
There Daar
Right Rechts
Left Links
Where is the bakery? Waar is de bakker?
Is there a hairdresser over here? Is hier een kapper?

As you read above, sometimes you find yourself in a strange place, which can be a hard situation. It’s
important to ask people how to find the way, but even more importantly, you must be able to
understand their explanations, once they are helping you out. The following table will expand on the
previous table by providing you with some information about finding the way and showing directions
to someone.

English Dutch
It is… Het is...
Next to Naast
in front of Voor
In In
Keep straight Ga rechtdoor
Turn right at... Ga rechtsaf bij...
Turn left at... Ga linksaf bij...
It’s on the left side of... Het is links van...
It’s on the right side of… Het is rechts van…
Far from Ver weg van
Thanks Bedankt
Thank you very much Dankuwel
Near to Vlakbij
Above Boven
Below Onder
Behind Achter

Hopefully this has been helpful to you. Explanations of directions can be of crucial importance in any
country. But at this very moment, you are still only aware of how to describe things, but not yet what
to describe. Supermarkets, bakeries or shops, what are the names of these places in Dutch. Do not
hesitate and have a look at the tablebelow!

English Dutch
The jewelry store De juwelier
The bank De bank
The shop De winkel
The warehouse Het warenhuis
The pharmacy De apotheek
The hospital Het ziekenhuis
The supermarket De supermarkt
The post office Het postkantoor
The office Het kantoor
The bakery De bakker
The butcher’s De slager
The zoo De dierentuin
The theme park Het pretpark
 Train station Treinstation
Bus station Busstation
Go ahead for three blocks. Ga drie blokken verder.
Take the second street left. Neem de tweede straat links.

* Note: the definite article ‘the’ is referred to in Dutch by both ‘de’ and ‘het’. Explanations for an
understanding of these rules will follow later on. The indefinite article ‘a(n)’ is permanently
translated with the word ‘een’.
 Your turn / Jouw beurt (Chapter 5 / Hoofdstuk 5)
Now it is your turn to provide some descriptions. In order to make sure that you have understood this
part of the book, please make sure to pay attention to the following exercises and answer them in the
most detailed way possible. As you may have noticed, this book will from now on be more oriented
towards an increasing amount of vocabulary, to help you become familiar with more words in the
language.

Exercise 1: Translation time

Please translate the following descriptions from English into Dutch.

English Dutch
The bank is on the left
side of the pharmacy.
Where is the butcher’s?

It is next to the zoo.

Turn right at the traffic

light.
The theme park is far
from the post office.
The shop is at the traffic
light on the left side.
The train station is
behind the bank.

Exercise 2 (Oefening 2): Which one is correct?

1. My hotel is next to the post office.

Mijn hotel is naast het kantoor. Mijn hotel is voor het postkantoor.
Mijn hotel is voor het postkantoor. Mijn hotel is naast het postkantoor.

2. It is on the right side of the zoo.

Het is rechts van de dierentuin. Het is rechts van de winkel.

Het is links van de dierentuin. Het is naast de dierentuin.

3. Turn left at the second block.

Ga rechtsaf bij het blok. Ga linksaf bij het eerste blok.

Ga linksaf bij het tweede blok. Ga linksaf bij het derde blok.
 Answers / Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 5)
Now it is your turn to provide some descriptions. In order to make sure that you have understood this
part of the book, please make sure to pay attention to the following exercises and answer them in the
most detailed way possible.

Exercise 1: Translation time

Please translate the following descriptions from English into Dutch.

English Dutch
The bank is on the left De bank is links van de apotheek.
side of the pharmacy.
Where is the butcher’s? Waar is de slager?

It is next to the zoo. Het is naast de dierentuin.

Turn right at the traffic Ga rechtsaf bij het stoplicht.

light.
The theme park is far Het pretpark is ver van het postkantoor.
from the post office.
The shop is at the traffic De winkel is bij het stoplicht links.
light on the left side.
The train station is Het treinstation is achter de bank.
behind the bank.

Exercise 2 (Oefening 2): Which one is correct?

1. My hotel is next to the post office.

Mijn hotel is naast het kantoor. Mijn hotel is voor het postkantoor.
Mijn hotel is voor het postkantoor. Mijn hotel is naast het postkantoor.

2. It is on the right side of the zoo.

Het is rechts van de dierentuin. Het is rechts van de winkel.

Het is links van de dierentuin. Het is naast de dierentuin.

3. Turn left at the second block.

Ga rechtsaf bij het blok. Ga linksaf bij het eerste blok.

Ga linksaf bij het tweede blok. Ga linksaf bij het derde blok.
 Chapter 6: The Family
Let’s continue with more familiar things. Getting to know people is one great pro of being in a new
area. The Netherlands is a great place where you can get to know other people. Words and phrases
related to family and friends can be of great importance, especially when you are making new friends.
Let’s dig deep into this part of the language.

English Dutch English Dutch

Family Familie Relative Familielid
Father Vader Grandson Kleinzoon
Mother Moeder Granddaughter Kleindochter
Grandfather Grootvader / Opa Uncle Oom
Grandmother Grootmoeder / Oma Aunt Tante
Son Zoon Cousin Neef (male)
Daughter Dochter Cousin Nicht (female)
Brother Broer Nephew Neef (male)
Sister Zus Niece Nicht (female)
Child Kind Children Kinderen

When we talk about family through marriage or relationships, the following terms will be important to
know.

English Dutch
Marriage Huwelijk
Wedding Trouwerij
Husband Echtgenoot / Man
Wife Echtgenote / Vrouw
Brother-in-law Zwager, schoonbroer
Sister-in-law Zwager, schoonzus
Stepfather Stiefvader
Stepmother Stiefmoeder

This basic vocabulary is fairly easy to study. Please note, however, that the Dutch language does not
make any written distinction between ‘cousin’ and ‘nephew’ or ‘niece’. Moreover, the same word is
used to indicate either someone’s brother-in-law or sister-in-law. Besides family, there is also some
important vocabulary related to other connections.

English Dutch
Friendship Vriendschap
Friend Vriend (male)
Friend Vriendin (female)
Man Man
 Woman Vrouw
Boy Jongen
Girl Meisje
Boyfriend Vriend
Girlfriend Vriendin
Best friend Beste vriend
Acquaintance Kennis

In order to make things more interesting, you must be able to briefly relate to different people. We
will now take a look at how we can relate to family members or friends by talking about them. This
starts with an extensive table filled with adjectives that are commonly used in the Dutch language.
The grammatical rules about using adjectives will follow later in this book. However, in order for
you to be more effective during conversations, it is very useful to have them stored in your head
already.

English Dutch English Dutch

Nice Leuk Funny Grappig
Young Jong Old Oud
Large Groot Small Klein
Hot Heet Cold Koud
Happy Blij Sad Verdrietig
Rich Rijk Poor Arm
Good Goed Bad Slecht
Important Belangrijk Unimportant Onbelangrijk
Fast Snel Slow Langzaam
Boring Saai Cosy Gezellig
Much/Many Veel Few/Little Weinig

Now you are ready to make some sentences that will describe not just you, but your family members
and friends, as well as those of other people. Hopefully you are realizing that you are really starting
to learn more than just some basics of the language!

English Dutch
Stephanie is my sister. Stephanie is mijn zus.
My father is funny. Mijn vader is grappig.
My son’s name is Sander. Mijn zoon heet Sander.
My mother has two children. Mijn moeder heeft twee kinderen.
His granddaughter is 9 years old. Zijn kleindochter is 9 jaar oud.
Her cousin is rich. Haar neef is rijk.
My husband is an acquaintance of her. Mijn echtgenoot is een kennis van haar.
 Your turn / Jouw beurt (Chapter 6 / Hoofdstuk 6)
It is time for you to put into practice what you have learned so far. This chapter is much about very
important vocabulary. These exercises will require you to think about the materials that we have
covered so far. You are allowed to use the tables in the chapters, but it would be great if you could do
these exercises without any help from the tables of this chapter. Please bear in mind that the
adjectives will be very important during the rest of your journey and many more will follow. Good
luck with these exercises!

Exercise 1: Who are we talking about?

Read the following descriptions in Dutch and then point out whatthreethree asterisks (***) refer to.
Please use the second column to give your answer. It may be very useful for you to study the previous
tables again, in order to find out what the right answer is.

1. John is de vader van Thomas. Thomas heeft

een zus. Zijn zus heet Sabrina. Sabrina is de
*** van John.
2. De oom van John heet Peter. Peter heeft een
vrouw. De vrouw heet Lisa. Lisa is de ***
van Peter.
3. De kleindochter van Jordy heet Eva. De
grootmoeder van Eva heet Marie. Marie is
de *** van Eva.

Exercise 2: Using the opposite adjectives

Please read the following information in English and then use the opposing word to say the same, but
then in Dutch. Look at the example to help yourself clarify what you have to do. The table with
adjectives from this chapter will help you as well.

Gary is not fast. (example / Gary is langzaam.

voorbeeld) (voorbeeld)

1. My grandmother
is not young.
2. His father is not
happy.
3. Her sister is not
poor.
4. The house is not
cozy.
5. The post office is
not small.
 Answers / Antwoorden (Chapter 6 / Hoofdstuk 6)

Exercise 1: Who are we talking about?

1. John is de vader van Thomas. Thomas heeft een zus. Zijn zus heet
Sabrina. Sabrina is de dochter van John.
2. De oom van John heet Peter. Peter heeft een vrouw. De vrouw heet
Lisa. Lisa is de tanteJohn.
3. De kleindochter van Jordy heet Eva. De grootmoeder van Eva heet
Marie. Marie is de grootmoeder van Eva.

Exercise 2: Using the opposite adjectives

1. Mijn grootmoeder is oud. / Mijn oma is

oud.
2. Zijn vader is verdrietig.
3. Haar zus is rijk.
4. Het huis is saai.
5. Het postkantoor is groot.
 Chapter 7: The Weather (Het Weer)
This chapter will be concerned with words, phrases and sentences related to the weather. You are
definitely going to need this in the Netherlands. The weather conditions in the Netherlands vary
extensively, from warm autumn days to rainy summers. Understanding the weather forecasts is thus
one of the things you must be able to do when you are in the Netherlands. It will save you many
problems during your stay in the Dutch landscape.

English Dutch English Dutch

Weather Weer Weather forecast Weersverwachting
Sun Zon Ice IJs
Sunshine Zonneschijn Snow Sneeuw
Rain Regen Water Water
Wind Wind Cloud Wolk
Temperature Temperatuur Degrees Graden

Talking about the weather is especially very useful in order to keep a conversation going. Whenever
you are chatting with someone, the weather is a topic that is constantly present. It does not matter
where you are, the weather is something you and your collocutor or partner always have in common.

Expressions to keep the conversation going

English Dutch
It is sunny Het is zonnig
It is rainy Het is regenachtig
It is windy Het waait
Do you like the weather? Vind je het weer goed?
I do (not) like the weather. Ik vind het weer (niet) goed.
What’s the weather like today? Hoe is het weer vandaag?
The weather is lovely Het weer is prachtig
The weather is bad Het weer is slecht
It is cold Het is koud
It is hot Het is warm*
There is no sunshine. Er is geen zonneschijn.
Currently Momenteel
Currently it is raining. Momenteel regent het.
Currently it is not snowing. Momenteel sneeuwt het niet.
Is it going to rain today? Gaat het vandaag regenen?
Yes, it’s going to rain. No, it’s not Ja, het gaat vandaag regenen.
going to rain Nee, het gaat vandaag niet
regenen.
Really? Echt waar?
 Have a nice day! Fijne dag!

* Note: when talking about the weather, the word ‘hot’ is translated as ‘warm’. The word ‘heet’
can be used in other situations.
 Your turn / Jouw beurt (Chapter 7 / Hoofdstuk 7)
Now it is your turn again. Drawing upon information from previous chapters, these exercises might
test your knowledge and skills that you will need while having conversations.

Exercise 1: Translations

Please translate the following sentences from English into Dutch.

1. Today it is hot. Vandaag is het warm.

2. The weather is bad Het weer is slecht vandaag.
today.
3. Currently it is 25 Momenteel is het 25 graden.
degrees.
4. There is much wind Er is veel wind in Nederland.
in the Netherlands.

Exercise 2: Answering Mr Jones

Please read the following questions asked by Mr Jones. Answer them in Dutch as accurately as
possible, according to the weather conditions that you find yourself in at this very moment.

1. Hallo! Hoe gaat het met

je?
2. Hoe is het weer
vandaag?
3. Gaat het vandaag
regenen?
4. Echt waar? Vind je het
weer goed?
 Antwoorden (Chapter 7 / Hoofdstuk 7)
Now it is your turn again. Drawing upon information from previous chapters, these exercises might
test your knowledge and skills that you will need while having conversations.

Exercise 1: Translations

Please translate the following sentences from English into Dutch.

1. Today it is hot. Vandaag is het warm.

2. The weather is bad Het weer is slecht vandaag.
today.
3. Currently it is 25 Momenteel is het 25 graden.
degrees.
4. There is much Er is veel wind in Nederland.
wind in the
Netherlands.

Exercise 2: Answering Mr Jones

Possible answers to the questions include:

1. Hallo! Met mij gaat het goed. Bedankt.

2. Vandaag is het weer prachtig. Het regent niet en het is zonnig.
3. Nee, het gaat vandaag niet regenen.
4. Ja, ik vind het weer goed. Fijne dag!
 Chapter 8: Shopping and Eating Out
While staying in a country and being surrounded by Dutch-speaking people, going out is very normal.
Whether you are enjoying your time in a restaurant or at a shopping mall, you are definitely in need of
much vocabulary if you want to have your products in the supermarket. When ordering a coke or a
beer in a bar, it would be great for yourself and others if you spoke Dutch. But it is not just that.
Holland is known for its cheese and in the Netherlands, you can find plenty of places with delicious
food and drinks. The Dutch culinary landscape is multicultural with Asian, Italian and many more
types of food being served. This chapter will guide you in doing your shopping or going to restaurants
and bars.

Shopping and the supermarket

English Dutch English Dutch

Buy Kopen Shorts Korte broek
Sell Verkopen Dress Jurk
Souvenirs Souvenirs Skirts Rok
Clothes Kleding / Kleren Jacket Jas
Shirt T-shirt Shoes Schoenen
Pants Broek Cap Pet
Jeans Spijkerbroek Sweater Trui
Expensive Duur Cheap Goedkoop
Discount Korting Credit card Creditcard

English Dutch English Dutch

Coffee Koffie Salt Zout
Tea Thee Sugar Suiker
Milk Melk Bread Brood
Juice Sap Butter Boter
Soft drink Frisdrank Cheese Kaas
Water Water Ham Ham
Shopping bag Tasje Union Ui
Meat Vlees Chicken Kip
Fish Vis Food Voedsel
Egg Ei Sauce Saus
Vegetables Groenten Fruits Fruit
Apple Appel Banana Banaan
Orange Sinaasappel Melon Meloen
Pineapple Ananas Cherry Kers
Tomato Tomaat Soup Soep

If you want to clarify which product or article you would like to have, the use of demonstrative
pronouns is very useful. These pronouns can be used in order to point to things that are within reach.
Below you can find the different demonstrative pronouns, accompanied by some examples in Dutch.

Singular/Plural English Dutch

Singular This Deze
Singular That Dat / Die*
Plural These Deze
Plural Those Die

English Dutch
I would like this shirt. Ik zou dit T-shirt graag willen.
Can I buy those jeans? Kan ik die spijkerbroek kopen?
These shoes are great! Deze schoenen zijn geweldig!
Those sweaters are too expensive. Die truien zijn te duur.

* Note: the demonstrative pronoun ‘dat’ will be used with nouns that are accompanied by the
article ‘het’, whereas the demonstrative pronoun ‘die’ will be used with nouns that are
accompanied by the article ‘de’, which is the case more often.

Phrases for buying clothes

English Dutch
Good morning. How can I help you? Goedemorgen. Hoe kan ik u helpen?*
I would like to buy some clothes. Ik wil graag kleren kopen.
I am just looking around. Ik kijk alleen rond.
How much does it cost? Hoeveel kost het?
How much is it? Hoeveel is het?
Which one do you want? Welke wil je?
I would like that one. Ik zou die graag willen.
It is too expensive. Het is te duur.
Do you also have…? Heeft u ook...?
Do you have a bigger/smaller size? Heeft u een grotere/kleinere maat?
We only accept cash. We accepteren alleen cash.
Can I try it on? Kan ik het passen?
Of course! Natuurlijk!

*Note: this sentence contains the formal ‘u’ because shopping assistants are very likely to offer
their services in a very polite way.

So, remember: whenever you are going to the mall or grocery store, you know what you need to ask in
order to buy the products you are in need of. Moreover, you have now seen how you can ask for
something in a polite way and how you can answer those questions. Now we will turn to a little bit
more informal type of conversation. Both bars and restaurants can have more informal conversations,
depending on the type of company you are with. Let’s have a look!

English Dutch English Dutch

Restaurant Restaurant Café Café
Bar Bar Cutlery Bestek
Fork Vork Knife Mes
Spoon Lepel Napkin Zakdoek
Salad Salade Pasta Pasta
Ice cream IJsje Drink Drankje
Breakfast Ontbijt Lunch Lunch
Dinner Avondeten / Diner Beer Bier
Wine Wijn Glass Glas
Menu Menu Check / Bill Rekening
Cash Contant Money Geld
Tip Fooi Change Wisselgeld
Waiter Ober Waitress Serveerster
Dish Gerecht Beverage Drankje

Phrases to use in restaurants and bars

English Dutch
Good evening. How can I help you? Goedenavond. Hoe kan ik u helpen?
Excuse me. Pardon.
Can I have the menu? Mag ik het menu?
I would like to order something. Ik zou graag iets willen bestellen.
Can I have a glass of white wine? Zou ik een glas witte wijn mogen?
I would like to have a beer. Ik zou graag een biertje willen.
Everything is fine. Alles is in orde.
It is very good. Het is zeer goed.
Everything was very delicious. Alles was erg lekker.
I would like to have the check, please. Ik zou graag de rekening hebben.
Can I pay with credit card? Kan ik met creditcard betalen?
 Your turn / Jouw beurt (Chapter 8 / Hoofdstuk 8)
Translate the following sentences from Dutch into English.

1. Ik wil graag die

schoenen.
2. Ik kijk alleen rond.

3. How much does

this souvenir cost?
4. Those shorts are
very expensive.
5. Heeft u een grotere
maat?
6. Kan ik dit T-shirt
passen?
7. Heeft u ook petten
met korting?
8. Fijne dag!

9. Pardon. Waar is
hier een bar?
10. Mag ik bestek?
11. Zou ik een glas
water mogen?
12. Kan ik met contant
betalen?
13. De maaltijden
waren erg lekker.
14. Het ijsje was erg
goed.
 Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 8)

1. I would like those shoes.

2. I am just looking around.
3. Hoeveel kost deze souvenir?
4. Die korte broek is erg duur.
5. Do you have a bigger size?
6. Can I try this shirt on?
7. Do you also have caps with discount?
8. Have a nice day!

9. Excuse me. Where is a bar here?

10. Can I have (some) cutlery?
11. Can I have a glass of water?
12. Can I pay with cash?
13. The dishes were very delicious.
14. The icecream was very good.
 Chapter 9: Seeing the Doctor (Naar de Dokter)
Everyone knows that the Netherlands is a very safe country. In terms of its health care insurance,
people are known to be very safe and sound. A very low number of dangerous disease is found in the
Netherlands and that is something we would like to keep that way. However, something could always
occur and you may need to visit a doctor, or perhaps even a hospital. It is very common for travelers
to be confronted with unpleasant experiences. Think about relatives or friends who went backpacking
in Asia or South America, for instance. Many vaccinations may have been needed to prevent
diseases. This chapter serves as a warranty that you will not need to be exposed to surprises when
you visit the doctor. The provided terms will help you communicate with doctors and fellow patients,
which will also be very good for your Dutch skills.

English Dutch English Dutch

Doctor Dokter Hospital Ziekenhuis
Sick / ill Misselijk / Ziek Disease Ziekte
Pain Pijn Headache Hoofdpijn
Stomach ache Maagpijn Sore throat Zere keel
Sleep Slaap Cough Kuch
Fever Koorts Medicine Medicijn
Prescription Recept Vomit Overgeven
Flu Griep Pill Pil
Injection Injectie Vaccination Vaccinatie
Dizzy Duizelig Blood Bloed

The table above is a very short but catchy summary of important things to know when you visit a
doctor. Now that you have learned how to point to certain places using demonstrative pronouns, as
well as the names of various body parts mentioned in an earlier chapter, you can start explaining
doctors and patients what is going on. There is more to it. Understanding a doctor is also of crucial
importance.

English Dutch
What is the problem? Wat is het probleem?
Do you have pain? Heb je pijn?
I am sick. Ik ben ziek. / Ik ben misselijk.
I have a cold. Ik ben verkouden.
You need to rest. Je moet rusten.
Do you have health insurance? Heb je een zorgverzekering?
I (do not) have a health insurance. Ik heb (g)een zorgverzekering.
Where does it hurt? Waar doet het zeer?
It hurts here, below my chest. Het doet hier zeer, onder mijn borst.
My stomach hurts a lot. Mijn maag doet erg zeer.
Could you prescribe something for Kunt u iets voor me uitschrijven?
me?
 Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 9)
These exercises will help to recapture some vocabulary you have had so far. Moreover, they will
require you to critically think about the situations you might get into.

Exercise 1: Recap

Match the vocabulary on the left with the words on the right.

English Dutch Answer

1. fingers a. Maagpijn
2. sore throat b. Koorts
3. body c. Hoofd
4. fever d. Lichaam
5. dizziness e. Zeer doen
6. ears f. Oren
7. to hurt g. Zere keel
8. mouth h. Vingers
9. stomach ache i. Mond
10. head j. Duizeligheid

Exercise 2: Sara needs your help

Sara, a friend of yours, is in trouble. She needs to see a doctor, but she does not speak or understand a
single word of Dutch. In a phone call, Sara and you agreed that you would send her an email with
Dutch information about her injuries. Sara told you the following:

“I am very sick. My stomach hurts very much and I think that I have a cold. Tell the doctor that I
have a sore throat and ask him if he wants to prescribe something for me.”

In the space provided below, please write out some lines in Dutch, in which you ask a local doctor to
help Sara.

___________________________________________________________________________
 Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 9)
These are the answers to the exercises belonging to chapter 9. Please be wary that the answers to
exercise 2 might vary a bit. For that reason, several answers are given.

Exercise 1: Recap

1 – h, 2 – g, 3 – d, 4 – b, 5 – j, 6 – f, 7 – e, 8 – i, 9 – a & 10 – c

Exercise 2: Sara needs your help

Sara, een vriendin, is erg ziek. Haar maag doet erg zeer en ze is verkouden. Ze heeft ook een zere
keel. Dokter, kunt u iets voor haar uitschrijven?
Or:

Een vriendin van mij (Sara) is erg ziek. Haar maag doet zeer. Ze is verkouden en ze heeft een zere
keel. Kunt u iets uitschrijven voor Sara?
Chapter 10: Finding Accommodation
 Het vinden van onderdak
Whether you are looking for a place to stay in a hotel or not, finding accommodation and the
accompanying vocabulary is increasingly useful these days. Backpacking is a great trend, with Europe
being one of the most popular destinations. And from our experience, we can tell that people from
non-European countries love going to Amsterdam. It is one of these cities that they feel like they
should visit. With many rainy days, you are going to find out that camping is not the best option,
perhaps in summer. But hotels and hostels are usually more interesting for tourists to visit. The Dutch
hotels are generally of great quality, although they can be pricy in the city centers, so be wary of this
and aim for accommodation just outside the city. This chapter will guide you in finding your
accommodation.

Hotels , hostels and camping in the Netherlands

English Dutch
How can I help you? Hoe kan ik u helpen?
Do you (still) have any rooms left? Heeft u (nog) kamers over?
I would like to have a room. Ik zou graag een kamer willen.
For how many people? Voor hoeveel mensen?
I am by myself. Ik ben alleen.
Hotel Hotel
I am with another person. Ik ben met nog een persoon.
I (do not) mind sharing a room. Ik vind het (niet) erg om een kamer te
delen.
I would like to reserve a room for two Ik zou graag een kamer voor twee
people. personen willen reserveren.
I would like to stay one night. Ik zou graag één nacht willen blijven.
I would like to stay two nights. Ik zou graag twee nachten willen
blijven.
I (do not) have a reservation. Ik heb (g)een reservering.
Unfortunately, we are full. Helaas, we zitten vol.
Is breakfast included? Is het ontbijt inbegrepen?
Do you have (free) Wi-Fi? Heeft u (gratis) wi-fi?
Have a nice stay! Fijn verblijf!
Where is the elevator? Waar is de lift?
The shower does not work. De douche werkt niet.
My/Our room has not been cleaned Onze kamer is nogniet schoon
yet. gemaakt.
Can I have another room? Mag ik een andere kamer?
Could you bring me some towels? Kunt u me wat handdoeken brengen?
Do you have any place left? Heeft u nog plaats vrij?
I would like to rent a bungalow/tent. Ik zou graag een bungalow/tent willen
 huren.
Can I have a map of the camping? Mag ik een kaart van de camping?
Place Plaats
 Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 10)
Now, we would like you to use the following exercises to confirm that you have studied and
understood the previous vocabulary.

Exercise 1: Answer the hotel employee

Imagine you are in a hotel and you would like to stay in this hotel, together with a friend. You would
like to stay for two nights and you do not have a reservation.

Goedemiddag. Hoe 1. (I would like to have a room)

kan ik u helpen?

Voor hoeveel mensen? 2. (I am with another person, my friend Peter/Petra)

Heeft u een 3. (I do not have a reservation)

reservering?

Oké, bedankt. 4. (I would like to stay two nights)

Hoeveel nachten wilt
u blijven?
Het ontbijt is 5. (Thank you very much. Have a nice day!)
inbegrepen. Fijn
verblijf!

Exercise 2: Asking for some help

After one night, you are not happy with your stay and your friend and you have agreed that you want to
move to a different room because it has not been cleaned yet. Moreover, you need extra towels and
you would like to have a map of the city, because you are lost in the city. Please use the following
space to write down your demands.
 Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 10)
The answers to the exercises of chapter 10 can be found below. For exercise 2, please not that your
answer may vary a bit.

Exercise 1: Answer the hotel employee

1. Ik zou graag een kamer willen.

2. Ik ben met nog een persoon, mijn vriend Peter ( / vriendin Petra).
3. Ik heb geen reservering.
4. Ik zou graag twee nachten willen blijven.
5. Hartstikke bedankt. Fijne dag!

Exercise 2: Asking for some help

Goedemiddag. Onze kamer is nog niet schoongemaakt. Mag ik daarom een andere kamer? Kunt u me
ook wat handdoeken brengen? Ik ben verdwaald in de stad. Mag ik een kaart van de stad?

* Note: ‘daarom’ means ‘therefore’. Please regard this as an additional lesson.

 Chapter 11: The Bank
Whenever you have monetary issues, this chapter will be of great value. The Netherlands is in the
Eurozone and just like many other European countries, the Euro is the currency that is used. In 2002,
the Euro replaced the Guilder as the main currency. During your stay in the Netherlands, you might
find out that you could use some additional vocabulary in terms of monetary issues. Going to the bank,
asking for currencies or changing your money; another world is opening up for you! In the tables
below, you can find some very useful words and phrases.

English Dutch English Dutch

The bank De bank Bank balance Banksaldo
Money Geld To cash a check Een cheque
verzilveren
Bank account De bankrekening Credit card De creditcard
Savings Spaargeld Debit card De debitcard
Cash money Contant geld Debt De schuld
Income Inkomsten Expenses Uitgaven
To deposit money Geld storten Interest De rente
To withdraw money Geld opnemen Loan De lening
Currency De valuta To pay tax Belasting betalen
Exchange rate De wisselkoers Mortgage De hypotheek
Savings account De spaarrekening To pay (off) (Af)betalen

The highest value that coins have is 2 Euros, followed by 1 Euro, 50 cents, 20 cents, 10 cents and 5
cents. The coins worth 1 or 2 cents are very rare, since shops and supermarkets are not returning them
anymore. You are allowed to spend them, though.

The paper money in the Eurozone starts from 5 Euros. Then, the values of the money increase; 10
Euros, 20 Euros, 50 Euros, 100 Euros, 200 Euros and even 500 Euros worth of paper money.
However, it is very rare in many shops to pay with bills of 200 or 500 Euros.

English Dutch
We do not accept 200 or 500 Euro We accepteren geen biljetten van 200
bills. of 500 euro.
I would like to open a bank account. Ik zou graag een bankrekening willen
openen.
You can pay with credit card. U kunt met creditcard betalen.
Here is your change. Hier is uw wisselgeld.
I would like to transfer money. Ik wil graag geld overmaken.
I would like to exchange money. Ik zou graag geld inwisselen.
How much is the dollar worth? Wat is de waarde van de dollar?
I would like to withdraw money. Ik zou graag geld opnemen.
 Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 11)
In the following exercises you will be trained to use your Dutch skills when it comes to talking about
money.

Exercise 1: Talking about your savings

Translate the following sentences from English into Dutch or from Dutch into English.

Good afternoon. I
would like to
withdraw 300 Euros.
I do not have savings.

I have to pay my debt.

I would like to
exchange my dollars.

Goedemorgen. Ik zou
graag een
bankrekening willen
openen.
Ik wil graag 200 euro
overmaken.

Kan ik met 500 euro

betalen?

Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks

Wisselgeld Valuta Contant Wisselkoers Creditcard Inkomsten

1. Kan ik met __________________ geld betalen?

2. Bedankt. Hier is je __________________.

3. De __________________ van de Euro is erg goed.

4. Ik ben rijk. Ik heb meer __________________ dan* uitgaven. (* ‘dan’ = than)

5. De Amerikaanse dollar is een __________________.

6. Ik heb geen debitcard, maar wel een __________________

 Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 11)

Good afternoon. I Goedemiddag. Ik zou graag 300 euro willen

would like to opnemen.
withdraw 300 Euros.
I do not have savings. Ik heb geen spaargeld.
I have to pay my debt. Ik moet mijn schuld (af)betalen.
I would like to Ik zou mijn dollars graag inwisselen.
exchange my dollars.

Goedemorgen. Ik zou Good morning. I would like to open a bank account.

graag een
bankrekening willen
openen.
Ik wil graag 200 euro I would like to transfer 200 Euros.
overmaken.
Kan ik met 500 euro Can I pay with 500 Euros?
betalen?

Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks

Below you find which answer you should have written down in each sentence. We have also
provided you with the translation of the entire sentences.

1. Contant Can I pay with cash money?

2. Wisselgeld Thank you. Her is your change.

3. Wisselkoers The exchange rate of the Euro is very good.

4. Inkomsten I am rich. I have more income than expenses.

5. Valuta The American dollar is a currency.

6. Creditcard I do not have a debit card, but I do have a credit card.

 Chapter 12: Travelling by Bus and Taxi
The last chapter of this part of this book will be concerned with public transportation in the country
itself. It is less common to travel by taxi, but buses are everywhere in the Netherlands. Just like
trains, they are a great way of transporting from place to another. You can even download an
application for your smartphone (9292ov) that provides you with bus times and routes. When you are
in the Netherlands, you now know what to do!

English Dutch English Dutch

Public Openbaar vervoer Bus Bus
transportation
Taxi Taxi Vehicle Voertuig
Passenger Passagier Traveler Reiziger
PT card (e.g. OV kaart Price Prijs
Oyster card)
The destination De bestemming Departure Het vertrek
Arrival De aankomst Route De route
Bus stop Bushalte Ticket Het kaartje
Single ticket Enkeltje Return ticket Het retourticket
From Van To Naar
Bus driver De buschauffeur Taxi driver De taxichauffeur
On time Op tijd (Too) late Te laat
Delayed Vertraagd Timetable De dienstregeling
Platform Het perron First class Eerste klas
Second class Tweede klas Ticket inspector De conducteur
Penalty De boete Underground De metro
To catch a bus Een bus nemen To miss a bus Een bus missen
Next Volgende Previous Vorige

While being on the road, you might want to kill the time with your taxi driver or other passengers on
the bus and train. Moreover, it would be a great advantage if you could tell someone in Dutch what
your or someone else’s demands are.

Additional vocabulary

English Dutch
Where can I take you? Waar kan ik je heenbrengen?
What is your destination? Wat is je bestemming?
Where are we going? Waar gaan we heen?
I would like to go the zoo. Ik zou graag naar de dierentuin willen.
I need to go to the train station. Ik moet naar het treinstation toe.
How is your day? Hoe gaat je dag?
 You can stop over here. U kunt hier stoppen.
How much is it? Hoeveel is het?
Here you are. Alstublieft.
You can keep the change. U kunt het wisselgeld houden.
Thank you for the ride. Bedankt voor de rit.
Which class are we in? In welke klas zitten we?
We are in first/second class. We zitten in de eerste/tweede klas.
To get on the bus/train. In de bus/trein stappen.
To get off the bus/train. Uit de bus/trein stappen.
 Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 12)
Now, please try and do the following exercises. Trust us, it will only get more fun from now on, so
keep up, because your journey is about to get really serious!

Exercise 1: Match the correct vocabulary

This chapter introduced another wide variety of additional vocabulary. Please match the vocabulary
so that you can check whether you have mastered the vocabulary.

English Dutch Answer

1. Delay a. Een trein missen 1–d
2. Traffic light b. Geen eerste klasse 2–g
3. To miss a train c. Vertrek 3–a
4. No first class d. Vertraging 4–b
5. Platform e. Bestemming 5–h
6. Destination f. Een trein nemen 6–e
7. Departure g. Stoplicht 7–c
8. To catch a train h. Perron 8–f

Exercise 2: Chatting with Menno, the taxi driver

Meet Menno, your first taxi driver in the Netherlands. He does not speak English, unfortunately, but he
is a smart guy and will understand you if you speak some proper sentences. Please try to answer
Menno in order to get to your destination in time.

Menno:
Goedemorgen. Hoe
heet je?
Menno: Waar kan ik
je heenbrengen?

Menno: Hoe gaat het

met je?
Menno: Het weer is (You can stop over here. Thanks.)
prachtig vandaag.
(The weather is
lovely today)
Menno: Oké. Ik zal (How much is it?)
hier stoppen.

Menno: Het is 9 euro (Alstublieft. U kunt het wisselgeld houden.)

30.
 Menno: Hartstikke (Have a nice day!)
bedankt! Fijne dag!

Exercise 3: Feline catching the right train

You (Feline) just caught a train to The Hague and a passenger runs in, just in time. He is asking you
whether he is in the right train. You are travelling second class and the next stop is The Hague. The
train was delayed for 5 minutes. Please choose the correct sentences.

Passenger Answer 1 Answer 2

Goedemorgen. Is dit de Ja, dit is de trein naar Nee, dit is niet de trein
trein naar Den Haag? Den Haag. naar Den Haag.
In welke klas zitten we? We zitten in de eerste We zitten in de tweede
klas. klas.
Hoe heet je? Mijn naam heet Feline. Mijn naam is Feline.
Wat is de volgende halte? De volgende halte is De vorige halte is Den
Den Haag. Haag.
Is de trein vertraagd? De trein is 5 minuten De trein is niet 5
vertraagd. minuten vertraagd.
 Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 12)
Please be wary that the answers to exercise 2 may be somewhat different from your own answers.

Exercise 1: Match the correct vocabulary

1 – d, 2 – g, 3 – a, 4 – b, 5 – h, 6 – e, 7 – c & 8 – f

Exercise 2: Chatting with Menno, the taxi driver

Menno: Goedemorgen. Hoe Goedemorgen. Mijn naam is [your name].

heet je?
Menno: Waar kan ik je Ik zou graag naar de bank willen.
heenbrengen?
Menno: Hoe gaat het met je? Met mij gaat het goed. Bedankt.
Menno: Het weer is prachtig (You can stop over here. Thanks.)
vandaag. (The weather is
lovely today)
Menno: Oké. Ik zal hier (How much is it?)
stoppen.
Menno: Het is 9 euro 30. (Alstublieft. U kunt het wisselgeld houden.)
Menno: Hartstikke bedankt! (Have a nice day!)
Fijne dag!

Exercise 3: Feline catching the right train

Passenger Answer 1 Answer 2

Goedemorgen. Is dit de Ja, dit is de trein naar Nee, dit is niet de trein
trein naar Den Haag? Den Haag. naar Den Haag.
In welke klas zitten we? We zitten in de eerste We zitten in de tweede
klas. klas.
Hoe heet je? Mijn naam heet Feline. Mijn naam is Feline.
Wat is de volgende halte? De volgende halte is De vorige halte is Den
Den Haag. Haag.
Is de trein vertraagd? De trein is 5 minuten De trein is niet 5
vertraagd. minuten vertraagd.
 Chapter 13: Work and Hobbies
Talking about your work and the job you have might seem a bit boring at first. However, your work is
one of the things that bonds people together during conversations. Often, you can include hobbies too.
Asking about hobbies is a fantastic way to get to know people. Perhaps you have the same hobbies
and interests, which allows you to make friends much easier. This chapter is focused at showing
interest towards others; asking people what they do and also understanding these explanations. We
hope you will learn very well from this, because you are going to need this in conversations!

Talking about your profession

English Dutch
What job do you have? Welke baan heb je?
What do you do? Wat voor werk heb je?
In my daily life.. In het dagelijks leven..
I am a professor. Ik ben een professor.
Cleaner Schoonmaker
Shop assistant Winkelbediende
Farmer Boer
Sportsman / Sportswoman Sporter
Musician Muzikant
Nurse Zuster
Doctor Dokter
Lawyer Advocaat
Writer Schrijver / Schrijfster
Translator Vertaler
Administrative assistant Administratief medewerker
Police officer Politieagent
Firefighter Brandweerman / Brandweervrouw
Student Student / Studente
Cook Kok
Receptionist Receptionist / Receptioniste
Cleaner Schoonmaker / Schoonmaakster
Waiter / Waitress Ober / Serveerster
Engineer Architect
Employer Werkgever
Employee Werknemer / Medewerker

* Note that each time two almost identical nouns are mentioned, the left noun refers to the male
word and the right noun refers to the female word.

That is far from everything you can tell about yourself. Expressing your hobbies are a great way of
revealing yourself and it will increasing a sense of liking that people are about to experience with
you. Just think about the things that you enjoy doing apart from your study or work. In the Netherlands,
many people play football or they cycle, for instance. Physical activities are very popular. But there
is much more that Dutch people do. The following table will briefly outline a great number of things
you can mention when you are talking about hobbies, which includes doing sports.

English Dutch English Dutch

Hobby Hobby Hobbies Hobby’s
Television Televisie Watch TV TV kijken
Watch sports Sport kijken Go to the cinema Naar de bioscoop
gaan
I like doing Ik vind het leuk om I do not like doing Ik vind niet het
te doen leuk om te doen
Exercise Oefeningen Play games Spellen spelen
Swimming (to Zwemmen Dancing (to dance) Dansen
swim)
Cycling (to cycle) Fietsen Running (to run) Hardlopen
Reading (to read) Lezen Listening music (to Muziek luisteren
listen music)

Whenever you want to describe something you like doing, you start a sentence with: “Ik houd van …”
which means “I love …”. Please have a look at the following table to find out how to structure a
sentence like this.

English Dutch
What do you like to do? Wat doe je graag?
What are your hobbies? Wat zijn je hobby’s?
I love doing exercise. Ik houd van oefeningen doen.
I love going to the cinema. Ik houd van naar de bioscoop gaan.
I like playing games. Ik vind het leuk om spellen te spelen.
Do you like reading? Houd je van lezen?
I hate doing sports. Ik haat sporten.

Using transition words in sentences

English Dutch English Dutch

Because Omdat / Want Of course Natuurlijk
But Maar Firstly Ten eerste
However Echter Secondly Ten tweede
Moreover Bovendien Thirdly Ten derde
Also Ook Finally Tot slot
Then Toen Usually Gebruikelijk
 Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 13)
Now it is up to you to use this information in the following exercises. Good luck!

Exercise 1: Talking about your job

Translate the following sentences from English into Dutch or Dutch into English.

1. I work in a supermarket.

2. I am an administrative
assistant in a bank.

3. My brother is a cleaner
in a big hotel.

4. My mother is waitress
in an expensive restaurant.

5. I am an employee of
Apple.

6. Ik ben een politieagent

in Nijmegen.

7. Ik houd van naar mijn

werk gaan.

8. Mijn tante is een zuster

in een ziekenhuis.

9. Mijn vader is een

schrijver en vertaler.

10. Ik ben een

receptioniste in een
kantoor.

Exercise 2: Answering questions about your hobbies

Please answer the following questions in Dutch. Do not just answer with yes or no; write out full
sentences.
1. Wat zijn je hobby’s?

2. Vind je het leuk om

videospellen te spelen?

3. Houd je van naar de

bioscoop gaan?

4. Haat je naar muziek

luisteren?

5. Houd je van lezen?

 Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 13)
Below you can find the answers of the exercises you just did. The answers provided with exercise 2
may vary a bit.

Exercise 1: Talking about your job

1. I work in a supermarket. Ik werk in een supermarkt.

2. I am an administrative Ik ben een administratief medewerker in een bank
assistant in a bank.
3. My brother is a cleaner Mijn broer is een schoonmaker in een groot hotel.
in a big hotel.
4. My mother is waitress Mijn moeder is een serveerster in een duur
in an expensive restaurant. restaurant.
5. I am an employee of Ik ben een werknemer van Apple.
Apple.

6. Ik ben een politieagent I am a police officer in Nijmegen.

in Nijmegen.
7. Ik houd van naar mijn I love going to my work.
werk gaan.
8. Mijn tante is een zuster My aunt is a nurse in a hospital.
in een ziekenhuis.
9. Mijn vader is een My father is a writer and translator.
schrijver en vertaler.
10. Ik ben een I am a receptionist in an office.
receptioniste in een
kantoor.

Exercise 2: Answering questions about your hobbies

1. Wat zijn je hobby’s? Ik houd van lezen, sporten en fietsen, maar ik houd
niet van muziek luisteren. /
Ten eerste houd ik van lezen. Ten tweede houd ik
van sporten en ten derde houd ik van fietsen. Ik houd
echter niet van muziek luisteren.
2. Vind je het leuk om Ja, ik vind het leuk om videospellen te spelen. /
videospellen te spelen? Nee, ik vind het niet leuk om videospellen te spelen.
3. Houd je van naar de Ja, ik houd van naar de bioscoop gaan. /
bioscoop gaan? Nee, ik houd niet van naar de bioscoop gaan.
4. Haat je naar muziek Ja, ik haat naar muziek luisteren. /
luisteren? Nee, ik haat naar muziek luisteren niet.
5. Houd je van lezen? Ja, ik houd van lezen. /
Nee, ik houd niet van lezen.
 PART 3
GRAMMAR TIME
 Chapter 14: Nouns
Until now, you have been studying very many words and phrases. It is of crucial importance to be
able to understand how sentences are structured, though. We will now start to work on grammar. From
past experience we can tell that grammar can be hard to understand, sometimes. On the other hand, it
is the most important thing in any language. When you are aware of structures in a certain language,
you can build sentences yourself, which will save you a lot of time in conversations.

Articles (Lidwoorden)

We will start by throwing some explanations of the way the Dutch language works when it comes to
the use of articles. Contrary to the English language, there is just one indefinite article (‘een’), so
luckily for you, there is no theoretical part on the indefinite article. On the other hand, there are two
definite articles: ‘de’ and ‘het’.

We use the definite article ‘het’ for neutral words, whereas ‘de’ is used with any feminine or
masculine word. Nouns that cover people or professions are generally therefore accompanied by
‘de’. Learning Dutch as a second language is very tricky, because it is hard to master the rules of
determining which article belongs to what noun. If you are a native speaker, this is fairly easy and
straightforward. Luckily, there are some rules that can guide you.

We use ‘de’ with nouns in the following cases:

In all plural forms (1)

Nouns referring to fruits and trees (2)

Names of mountains and rivers (3)

Names of numbers and letters (4)

We use ‘het’ with nouns in the following cases:

All diminutives (5)

Names of languages (6)

Names of countries or places (7)

Metals (8)

Wind directions (9)

Nouns ending with [isme] (10)

 English Dutch Category
The cars De auto’s 1
The chestnut tree De kastanjeboom 2
The Mount Everest De Mount Everest 3
The letter b De letter b 4
The little rabbit Het konijntje 5
Spanish Het Spaans 6
The nice city of Rotterdam Het leuke Rotterdam 7
The silver Het zilver 8
The south east Het zuidoosten 9
The socialism Het socialisme 10

What’s very important to realize with articles, is that you need to practice each individual article over
and over again. Each time that you are not sure, ask someone, or think whether the nouns fit in the
rules that we have covered in this chapter.
 Jouw beurt oefening 1(Hoofdstuk 14)

Exercise 1: Articles

Now it is your turn to use the information about the articles to fit them with the right nouns. Please
either use ‘de’ or ‘het’. You can use this exercise to expand your Dutch vocabulary!

# Dutch word Translation

1 De / Het baby’tje The little baby
2 De / Het Tomaat The tomato
3 De / Het Noordwesten The North West
4 De / Het Communisme The communism
5 De / Het Vlaams The Flemish language
6 De / Het Flessen The bottles
7 De / Het Meisje The little girl
8 De / Het Jongen The boy
9 De / Het Ijzer The iron
10 De / Het Maas The River Maas

This is good for now. You can find the answers to this exercise at the back of this chapter, but do not
stop here; there is more thery and exercises to come in this chapter!

Singular and plural nouns (Enkelvoudige en meervoudige zelfstandige naamwoorden)

When we are transforming Dutch nouns from singular to plural, there are two options. We either add
[s] or [en] to the noun. In a large majority of all cases, we will add [en]. Please take into
consideration the following rules.

1. We just add [en] when the length of the vowel will remain the same. If this is not the
case, we add the final consonant of the singular form as well.

2. There is no room for double open vowels in plural, so one vowel will then be taken
off.

3. Whenever a noun ends with a voiceless [f] or voiceless [s], their plural forms will
respectively replace these [f] and [s] with [v] and [z], followed by [en]. This is very
often the case, but not always. For instance, many Latin loanwords also have the Latin
plural form.

Singular Plural Translation Category

De hond De honden The dog(s) -
De fiets De fietsen The bicycle(s) -
De rok De rokken The skirt(s) 1
 De muur De muren The wall(s) 2
De dief De dieven The thief(s) 3
De reus De reuzen The giant(s) 3

Exceptions

Singular Plural Translation

Fotograaf Fotografen Photographer(s)
Kaars Kaarsen Candle(s)
Centrum Centra Center(s)
Historicus Historici Historian(s)

However, for many words this way of forming the plural form is not applicable. We add an [s] to the
noun in plural if one of the following conditions are met:

1. The noun ends with a single vowel. We add [s] when these words derive from
adjectives and when the singular form and with a single [e]. However, [‘s] is added to
all other singular forms.

2. The noun ends with an unstressed vowel combination.

3. The noun has one of the following unstressed endings: [el], [en], [em], [er], [erd],
[aar], [aard] or [um].

4. The noun has one of the following stressed endings: [eur] or [foon].

5. Titles and professions ending with [oor] or [ier].

6. Loanwords that are given an [s] in plural in its original language.

7. Names of letters and acronyms.

Singular Plural Translation Category

De baby De baby’s The baby / 1
babies
De radio De radio’s The radio(s) 1
De boete De boetes The fine(s) 1
De missie De missies The mission(s) 2
De lepel De lepels The spoon(s) 3
De telefoon De telefoons The phone(s) 4
De koerier De koeriers The courier(s) 5
De computer De computers The computer(s) 6
Een cd cd’s a CD / CDs 7
 Jouw beurt oefening 2 (Hoofdstuk 14)
Choose the correct plural form for each noun given. You may cross out the wrong answer. The third
and fourth column provide you with the two answer categories.

1. De passagier (The passenger) De passagiers De passagieren

2. De foto (The photo) De fotos De foto’s
3. De pot (The jar) De poten De potten
4. De monteur (The mechanic) De monteuren De monteurs
5. De baas (The boss) De baazen De bazen
6. De e-mail (The email) De e-mails De e-mailen
7. De mand (The basket) De mands De manden
8. De saxofoon (The saxophone) De saxofonen De saxofoons

Now we will turn to the final explanations of nouns in the Dutch language. This can be a hard part.
Words ending with [ie] and [ee] are usually given [ën] or [n].

When the emphasis is on the [ie] or [ee], we add [ën]. Whenever a noun consists of just
one syllable, you know this will be the case.

When the emphasis is not on [ie] or [ee], we add [n], but the final [e] of the original noun
will be replaced by [ë].

With words ending with [ik], there is a similar distinction:

When the emphasis is on [ik], we write down two [k]’s in the plural form.

When the emphasis is not on [ik], we write down one [k] in the plural form.

Singular Plural Translation

De fee De feeën The fairy / The fairies
De genie De genieën The genius(es)
De bacteria De bacteriën The bacterium / The
bacteria
De olie De oliën The oil(s)
Monnik Monniken Monarch(s)
Tik Tikken Tap(s)
Viezerik Viezeriken Dirty fellow(s)
 Jouw beurt oefening 3 (Hoofdstuk 13)
Write down the plural of the following nouns:

1. De zee (The sea)

2. De kopie (The copy)
3. De porie (The pore)
4. De blik (The gaze)
5. De leeuwerik (The lark)
 Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 14)
Below you can find the answers to all exercises from chapter 14. Please check your mistakes, if you
have made any, to see where you went wrong.

Oefening 1

1 – het, 2 – de, 3 – het, 4 – het, 5 – het, 6 – de, 7 – het, 8 – de, 9 – het & 10 – de

Oefening 2

1. De passagier De passagiers De passagieren

2. De foto De fotos De foto’s
3. De pot De poten De potten
4. De monteur De monteuren De monteurs
5. De baas De baazen De bazen
6. De e-mail De e-mails De e-mailen
7. De mand De mands De manden
8. De saxofoon De saxofonen De saxofoons

Oefening 3

1. De zee De zeeën
2. De kopie De kopieën
3. De porie De poriën
4. De blik De blikken
5. De leeuwerik De leeuweriken
 Chapter 15: Adjectives (Bijvoeglijke Naamwoorden)
During this course, we have provided you with many different adjectives. It was your task to just
memorize them, but now you will learn the theory behind them. An adjective (‘bijvoeglijk
naamwoord’) is a word that says something about a noun. Whereas the adjectives do not change in
English, there are different forms in Dutch, which means there is a theoretical explanation behind it.
Using adjectives shows that you are capable of being creative and having conversations, so it is
certainly a big advantage to be wary of them. Let’s start!

English Dutch English Dutch

Nice Leuk The house is nice. Het huis is leuk.
Funny Grappig The guy is funny. De jongen is grappig.
Boring Saai The class is boring. De klas is saai.
Fast Snel The car is fast. De auto is snel.
Slow Langzaam The bike is slow. De fiets is langzaam.

So far, so good. Describing nouns in short and snappy sentences with a structure like above is not a
problem in Dutch. When you put the adjective in front of the noun, however, something will change.
Please note the following examples:

English Dutch
The cool woman. De stoere vrouw.
The cheap train ticket. Het goedkope treinkaartje.
The boring book/magazine. Het saaie boek/tijdschrift.
The empty bottle. De lege fles.

As you have noticed, the adjectives are given an additional [e] when being used before the noun. In
almost all cases, we can see this happen. Please note the following:

In the plural form, we will use this form too, as plural nouns are accompanied by the
article ‘de’. We add an [e] to the adjective.

Whenever the indefinite article ‘een’ is used with a noun that corresponds with the article
‘het’, we always use the original form of the adjective. With original form, we mean the
form as presented in the first table on this page (e.g. ‘grappig’ and not ‘grappige’).

Whenever the adjective is referring to a substance, we will add [en] to the adjective.

English Dutch
A great day. Een geweldige dag.
The great day. De geweldige dag.
The sweet girl. Het lieve meisje.
A sweet girl. Een lief meisje.
 The iron bar. De ijzeren balk.
The wooden cage. De houten kooi.

English Dutch
The cheap glasses. De goedkope glazen.
The modern shops. De moderne winkels.
The sharp pencils. De scherpe potloden.
The blue pens. De blauwe pennen.
The huge files. De enorme bestanden.
 Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 15)
These exercises will test your knowledge about adjectives.

Oefening 1: Fill it in

Fill in the blanks with the adjective given.

English Question Answer

1. The dirty jeans. De (vies/vieze) spijkerbroek. Vieze
2. The green grass. Het (groen/groene) gras. Groene
3. The nice kid. Het (leuk/leuke) kind. Leuke
4. A happy uncle. Een (blij/blije) oom. Blije
5. A white rabbit. Een (wit/witte) konijn. Wit
6. The cool water. Het (koel/koele) water. Koele
7. An empty bottle. Een (leeg/lege) flesje. Leeg

* In Dutch, rabbit (konijn) is a word that generally corresponds with the article ‘het’. Moreover, if
you remember the explanation about nouns and diminutives, ‘flesje’ is a diminutive and thus
corresponds with the article ‘het’ as well.

Oefening 2: Make them singular or plural

In this exercise, it is both important that you also pay attention to forming and understanding the plural
of the noun. Please provide your answer in the space given.

# Singular / Enkelvoud Plural / Meervoud

1. Het blije meisje (The happy girl)
2. Het rode pakket (The red
package)
3. De hongerige wolf (The hungry
wolf)
4. Dikke dieren (Fat animals)
5. Knappe dochters (Pretty
daughters)
6. Eenzame appartementen (Lonely
apartments)
 Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 15)
Below you can find the correct answers to the exercises.

Oefening 1: Fill it in

Fill in the blanks with the adjective given.

English Question
1. The dirty jeans. De vieze
spijkerbroek.
2. The green grass. Het groene gras.
3. The nice kid. Het leuke kind.
4. A happy uncle. Een blije oom.
5. A white rabbit. Een wit konijn.*
6. The cool water. Het koele water.
7. An empty bottle. Een leeg flesje.*

Oefening 2: Make them singular or plural

# Answer
1. De blije meisjes
2. De rode pakketten
3. De hongerige wolven
4. Een dik dier
5. Een knappe dochter
6. Een eenzaam
appartement
 Chapter 16: Using Pronouns (Voornaamwoorden Gebruiken)
In order to address your fellow conversation partners, it is of crucial importance that you know how
to address someone. For that reason knowing your pronouns is extraordinarily valuable. The Dutch,
like other Germanic languages, make a distinction between a formal 'you' ('u') and a less formal 'you'
('je' / 'jij'). We have covered this before, but just so that it is not necessary for you to go back, we will
repeat this issue once again. We address grandparents, professors and sometimes parents in a formal
way, whereas the informal way is used with people you feel very comfortable with, usually friends
and acquaintances. We address a group of different people in a formal way with 'u' as well, using the
exact same rules as with using 'u' to address a single individual.

Personal pronouns

Just like the English language, Dutch makes a distinction between using a pronoun as a subject or as
an object. Personal pronouns are those referring to yourself or to another person as if you were
replacing someone's name or names. Take a look at the following tables and examples.

As a subject (Als onderwerp) As an object (Als voorwerp)

Singular 1st Ik Mij / me
Singular 2nd Jij / je, u Jou / je, u
Singular 3rd Hij, zij/ze, het Hem, haar, het
Plural 1st Wij / we Ons
Plural 2nd Jullie, u Jullie, je, u
Plural 3rd Zij / Ze Hen
Hun (after a preposition)
Ze

Examples include:

English Dutch
I have pain. Ik heb pijn.
You believe me. Jij gelooft me.
He sees her. Hij ziet haar.
She takes it. Zij neemt het.
We help them. Wij helpen ze.
You look at them. Jullie kijken naar hun.
They go to you. Zij gaan naar jou/je.

As mentioned, the personal pronoun is always part of a sentences in a sense that it can be replaced by
its original form. In the examples above, you can replace all personal pronouns by (groups of) names,
although sometimes the verb tense might change. In the case of the word 'it', the personal pronoun
obviously refers to an object and not a person.
When we are talking about possession, we will go a step further. Enclosing information about
possession describes something of what belongs to you or someone else; we use possessive pronouns
to refer to those nouns.

Moreover, reflexive pronouns are those referring to oneself. Many verbs cannot be used without a
reflexive pronoun. An example includes 'to remember’ (zich herinneren).

Possessive pronoun Reflexive pronoun

Singular 1st Mijn Me
Singular 2nd Jouw / Je, uw Je, u
Singular 3rd Zijn, haar, zijn Zich
Plural 1st Ons / Onze Ons
Plural 2nd Jullie, uw Je, u
Plural 3rd Hun Zich

Examples of using possessive pronouns

English Dutch
My father's car is grey and fast. Mijn vaders auto is grijs en snel.
Your credibility is high. Jouw geloofwaardigheid is groot.
His oil tank is empty. Zijn benzinetank is leeg.
He sleeps on our bed. Hij slaapt op ons bed.
Your* secret is safe with me. Jullie geheim is veilig bij mij.
Their help is of great value. Hun hulp is van grote waarde.

*Plural

Examples of reflexive pronouns with the verb 'to remember' include:

English Dutch
Sam feels tired. Sam voelt zich moe.
I feel perfect. Ik voel me perfect.
They feel embarrassed. Ze voelen zich beschaamd.
Amy and Kim feel angry. Amy en Kim voelen zich boos.
We feel great. We voelen ons geweldig.

Avoiding problems with using the reflexive pronoun can sometimes be done by using the verb 'to be'
in order to express emotions. This verb will be introduced in the next chapter, when we will deal
with emotions and descriptions.

We will now turn to three other pronouns, that are commonly used in both the English and Dutch
language to describe objects, phrases or other grammatical parts of the sentence.
 Each other Elkaar, elkander
Each others (possessive) Elkaars

Now, a very commonly used pronoun is the demonstrative pronoun, which is used to point to a certain
object that you can see or know about. Using a demonstrative pronoun is additionally useful in
describing things and talking about them. An example:

I like this cup so much! Ik vind deze mok/beker zo leuk!

Dutch demonstrative pronouns

English Dutch
This Deze (used with 'de'-words and plural nouns)
This Dit (used with 'het'-words)
That Die (used with 'de'-words and plural nouns)
That Dat (used with 'het'-words)
Those Dat (used with more than person)
Such a Zo'n (= zo een)
Such Zulke
The same Dezelfde

In order to ask questions about certain people or objects, we use interrogative pronouns.We also use
them to connect sentences and referring to the same people. We use relative pronouns to point to
objects, people or sentences that we is mentioned twice (earlier or later in the same sentence), but not
want to repeat. We thus replace them by a relative pronoun. Relative pronouns can also replace part
of a sentence that is referred to.

Dutch interrogative pronouns

English Dutch
Who Wie
What Wat
Which Welk(e)
What kind of Wat voor (een)

English Dutch
Who is the woman at the corner of the street? Wie is de vrouw op de hoek van de straat?
What kind of people visit a museum twice per Wat voor mensen bezoeken een museum twee
week? keer per week?

Dutch relative pronouns

English Dutch
 That Die (used with 'de'-words and plural nouns)
That Dat (used with'het'-words)
Who Wie
What Wat

English Dutch
Her husband, who I do not like, is 55 years old. Haar man, wie ik niet aardig vind, is 55 jaar
oud.
What I do not understand, is why he reads so Wat ik niet begrijp, is waarom hij zoveel
many books. boeken leest.

You can even replace an entire sentence with 'en dat':

English Dutch
We are not going to the zoo anymore. That is We gaan niet meer naar de dierentuin. Dat is
something I don't like. iets wat ik niet leuk vind.
We are not going to the zoo anymore and that is We gaan niet meer naar de dierentuin en dat is
something I don't like. iets wat ik niet leuk vind.
 Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 16)
This chapter is almost coming to an end as you have proceeded to the exercises of this chapter. These
will test your skills of the different pronouns (personal, possessive and reflexive).

Oefening 1: Fill in the right pronoun

In this exercise, choose the appropriate personal or possessive pronoun

1. Jeroen is een aardige jongen, want _____ heeft veel vrienden.

2. Peter en ik hebben een prachtige auto. _____ kleur is zwart.
3. Eva is saai. Ik vind _____ geen leuk meisje.
4. Deze jongens huilen veel. Ik denk dat _____ verdrietig zijn.
5. Ik heb een computer. _____ computer is heel erg snel en werktperfect.
6. Johans zelfvertrouwen is groot, want mensen vinden _____ aardig.
7. Susan heeft een druk leven. _____ wasmachine is altijd* vol.
8. Zonder Simone is het hier niet gezellig. _____ is een heel aardig meisje met veel
plezier in het leven.

*Altijd = Always

Oefening 2: Using reflexive pronouns

1 They find themselves very funny, because they laugh all the time.
Ze vinden _____ erg grappig, want ze lachen heel de tijd.

2 We think that he feels embarrassed.

We denken dat hij _____ schaamt.

3 I feel angry, because he is not helping me.

Ik voel _____ boos, omdat hij me niet helpt.

4 We should be ashamed of ourselves.

We moeten _____ schamen.

Oefening 3: Using the other pronouns

Please fill in the right pronoun (demonstrative, interrogative or relative pronoun).

1. _____ weet je over de groene telefoon?

Use 'what'
2. _____ spijkerbroek vind je het meest leuk?
Use 'which'
 3. Sporten, _____ ik haat, is gezond voor
iedereen*.

4. _____ is een lelijk gebouw (het gebouw)

Use 'that'
5. _____ zijn vriendelijke en prettige mensen.
Use 'those'
6.We hebben geen water _____ vind ik heel
vervelend.

6. _____ heeft mijn fiets?

Use 'who'
7. _____ schip is groot en het is heel mooi.
Use 'this'

* Gezond voor iedereen = healthy for everyone

 Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 16)
Below you can find the answers to the exercises of chapter 16. Check your answers and if you do not
understand possible mistakes, make sure to turn back to the explanatory pages.

Oefening 1: Fill in the right pronoun

1. Jeroen is een aardige jongen, want hij heeft veel vrienden.

2. Peter en ik hebben een prachtige auto. Zijn kleur is zwart.
3. Eva is saai. Ik vind haar geen leuk meisje.
4. Deze jongens huilen veel. Ik denk dat ze/zij verdrietig zijn.
5. Ik heb een computer. Mijn computer is heel erg snel en werkt perfect.
6. Johans zelfvertrouwen is groot, want mensen vinden hem aardig.
7. Susan heeft een druk leven. Haar wasmachine is altijd vol.
8. Zonder Simone is het hier niet gezellig. Ze/zij is een heel aardig
meisje met veel plezier in het leven.

Oefening 2: Using reflexive pronouns

1 They find themselves very funny, because they laugh all the time.
Ze vinden zich/zichzelf erg grappig, want ze lachen heel de tijd.

2 We think that he feels embarrassed.

We denken dat hij zich schaamt.

3 I feel angry, because he is not helping me.

Ik voel me boos, omdat hij me niet helpt.

4 We should be ashamed of ourselves.

We moeten ons schamen.

Oefening 3: Using the other pronouns

1. Wat weet je over de groene telefoon?

2. Welke spijkerbroek vind je het meest leuk?
3. Sporten, wat ik haat, is gezond voor iedereen*.
4. Dat is een lelijk gebouw (het gebouw)
5. Dat zijn vriendelijke en prettige mensen.
6. We hebben geen water en dat vind ik heel vervelend.
7. Wie heeft mijn fiets?
8. Dit schip is groot en het is heel mooi.
 Chapter 17: Emotions and Descriptions (Emoties en
Beschrijvingen)
Describing people and objects is great. Whenever you are having discussions with fellow students,
colleagues or strangers, it is great to talk about people and objects. Expressing your emotions, too, is
very useful in any language. People may have happiness in common or express different feelings
towards other people. In that sense, you might find it very useful to study this chapter very hard. First,
let us move into the expression of emotions. We will also study the verb 'to be', 'to have' and 'to feel',
because these will be useful additions to expressing feelings.

To be = zijn

English Dutch
Singular 1st I am Ik ben
Singular 2nd You are Jij bent (jij = less formal)
U bent (u = more formal)
Singular 3rd He/she/it is Hij/zij/het is
Plural 1st We are Wij zijn
Plural 2nd You are Jullie zijn
Plural 3rd They are Zij zijn

To have = hebben

English Dutch
Singular 1st I have Ik heb
Singular 2nd You have Jij hebt
U hebt
Singular 3rd He/she/it has Hij/zij/het heeft
Plural 1st We have Wij hebben
Plural 2nd You have Jullie hebben
Plural 3rd They have Zij hebben

To feel = voelen

English Dutch
Singular 1st I feel Ik voel (me)
Singular 2nd You feel Jij voelt (je)
U voelt (zich)
Singular 3rd He/she/it feels Hij/zij/het voelt (zich)
Plural 1st We feel Wij voelen (ons)
Plural 2nd You feel Jullie voelen (je)
Plural 3rd They feel Zij voelen (zich)
There are various different emotions that you may have and what would make you feel better to
express them? Below you will find an extensive table with emotions.

Vocabulary regarding emotions

English Dutch English Dutch

Friendly Vriendelijk(e) Confident Zelfverzekerd(e)
Sweet Zachtmoedig(e), Resolute Vastberaden
aardig(e), lieve
Safe Veilig(e) Secure Zeker(e)
Thankful Dankbaar / Dankbare Moved Ontroerd(e)
Optimistic Optimistisch(e) Pessimistic Pessimistisch(e)
Energetic Energiek(e) Fascinated Gefascineerd(e)
Intrigued Geïntrigeerd(e) Vivid Levendig(e)
Relaxed Ontspannen Calm Kalm
Clear Helder Content Tevreden
Silent Stil(le) Loud Luidruchtig(e)
Happy Blij(e) Sad Verdrietig(e)
Demanding Veeleisend(e) Amazed Verbaasd(e)

English Dutch English Dutch

Frightened Bang(e) Worried Ongerust(e)
Annoyed Geïrriteerd(e) Nervous Nerveus / Nerveuze
Embarrassed Beschaamd(e) Confused Verward(e)
Powerless Futloos Powerful Krachtig
Angry Boos / Boze Frustrated Gefrustreerd(e)
Lucky Gelukkig(e) Unlucky Ongelukkig(e)
Helpless Hulpeloos / Hulpeloze Helpful Behulpzaam /
Behulpzame
Furious Woedend(e) Nostalgic Nostalgisch(e)

We express our emotions using the verb 'to feel' (voelen), a verb that is accompanied by a reflexive
pronoun. Several examples:

Dutch
Ik voel me machteloos.
Jij voelt je fantastisch.
Hij voelt zich gefrustreerd.
Wij voelen ons beschaamd.
Jullie voelen je blij.
Zij voelen zich ontspannen.
 Jouw beurt 1 (Hoofdstuk 17)
Now it is your turn to express emotions. Translate the following sentences from English into Dutch.

English Dutch
1. I feel very angry.

2. He feels calm and

vivid.

3. They are very loud,

but they feel happy.

4. He is an energetic
and pretty boy.
Therefore, he feels very
confident.

5. You feel so secure all

the time.

6. Without his father, he

feels very relaxed.

Regarding emotions, this is it so far. In this chapter, we will now turn describing people's looks. We
can describe people in different manners. Whether you want to talk about someone's hair, clothes,
height or eyes, we have composed a list that will guide you to describe and talk about people in a
very detailed and comfortable manner. Are you ready to learn and use more vocabulary in your daily
use of Dutch? Just keep on reading!

Describing height and build

In order to describe people's height and build, we always use the verb 'to be' (zijn). We are not
talking about emotions anymore, so the verb 'to feel' (voelen) is not appropriate now.

English Dutch English Dutch

Tall Lang Short Klein
Average Gemiddeld Normal height Normale lengte
 Relatively tall Relatief lang Very short Erg klein
Fat Dik Skinny Slank
Overweight Overgewicht Underweight Ondergewicht

Describing eyes and hair

You can relate to people by describing the color and length of their hair. Moreover, you can refer to
their eyes, for instance.

English Dutch English Dutch

Blonde Blond(e) Brunette Brunette
Grey hair Grijs haar Black hair Zwart haar
Long hair Lang haar Short hair Kort haar
Bald Kaal Hairy Harig
Curly Krullend Straight Stijl

In general, you can have a conversation about what someone looks like. Someone might ask you, too.
Please have a look at the phrases below in order to learn more about this. We have also some
additional vocabulary that you could use in order to describe someone in terms of his or her looks.

English Dutch
What’s it like? Hoe ziet het er uit?
What does he look like? Hoe ziet hij er uit?
She is … Ze/zij is
What color is her hair? Welke kleur heeft haar haar?
How tall is she? Hoe lang is ze?
Old Oud(e)
Young Jong(e)
Pretty / Handsome Knap
Ugly Lelijk
Big Groot
 Jouw beurt 2 (Hoofdstuk 17)
This exercise asks you to describe your father and mother. If not applicable, describe both a man and
a woman you know in terms of height, build and looks. Try to provide a detailed explanation and
make use of connectives such as 'and', 'as well' and 'or'.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
 Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 17)
Below you can find the answers to the exercises of chapter 17. Please not that for exercise 2, your
answers may vary.

Oefening 1

English Dutch
1. I feel very angry. Ik voel me erg boos.
2. He feels calm and vivid. Hij voelt zich kalm en levendig.
3. They are very loud, but they feel happy. Ze zijn erg luidruchtig, maar ze voelen zich blij.
4. He is an energetic and pretty boy. Therefore, Hij is een energieke en leuke jongen. Daarom
he feels very confident. voelt hij zich erg zelfverzekerd.
5. You feel so secure all the time. Jij voelt je altijd zo zeker.
6. Without his father, he feels very relaxed. Zonder zijn vader voelt hij zich zeer ontspannen.

Oefening 2

Optional descriptions include:

Mijn vader is 49 jaar oud. Hij is kaal en is erg lang. Mijn vader is niet dik en ook vindt hij zich
niet oud.

Mijn moeder is ook 49 jaar oud. Ze is relatief klein, maar ze heeft lang bruin haar. De brunette is
erg slank en heeft een mooi gezicht.
 Chapter 18: Making Comparisons (Vergelijkingen Maken)
Explaining whether something is better, bigger, more important, less valuable or funnier; these are just
examples of comparisons that are very common in everyday speech, no matter what language. The
comparison is a recurring theme in any language and it is a great addition to one’s linguistic
knowledge to be able to express them. In order to be able to make the actual comparisons, we will
look at the adjectives and how one can form the comparative and superlative forms.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Leuk Leuker Leukst(e)
Fijn Fijner Fijnst(e)
Grappig Grappiger Grappigst(e)

As you can see, the Dutch rules are very much similar to the English rules. Just like we discussed
with adjectives, the sound of the syllable must remain the same when we form the comparative form
of the adjective. Therefore, an extra consonant may be added:

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Wit Witter Witst(e)
Fel (= bright) Feller Felst(e)

The superlative can be referred to in short and snappy sentences, without adding a noun that you are
referring to. Examples:

English Dutch
He is the tallest. Hij is de langste.
She is the dumbest. Zij is de domste.
They are the fastest. Zij zijn de snelsten. /
Zij zijn de snelste mensen.

Whenever we are talking about placing two different people or objects at the same level, we can use
different forms:

English Dutch
Sven is as clever asJan. Sven is (net) zo slim als Jan.
We have as funny parents as they do. Wij hebben net zo grappige ouders als zij.
As wise as Einstein. Zo wijs als Einstein.

Adjectives with three syllables are often written with the word ‘meest’ (‘most’).

English Dutch
The most helpful person in the classroom. De meest behulpzame persoon in de klas.
 The most intriguing photo in the museum. De meest intrigerende foto in het museum.
The most generous boy in the neighborhood. De meest gulle (or: gulste) jongen in de buurt.

Bigger than…

English Dutch
I am more content than you. Ik ben meer tevreden dan jij.
He has more money than Bart. Hij heeft meer geld dan Bart.
We feel happier than those people. We voelen ons blijer dan die mensen.

Important irregularities

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Goed (= good) Beter(e) Best(e)
Veel (many) Meer Meest(e)
Weinig (few) Minder Minst
 Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 18)
Now it is your turn again. Please read the exercises carefully and answer them to your best
capabilities.

Oefening 1: Translate the sentences

1. Michael is a skinnier runner

than Rob.

2. Peter is taller than Dennis

but he is as tall as Sander.

3. Are there more inspiring

musicians than Paul
McCartney?

4. My savings account is older

than Kate’s dog.

5. My cousins are as hungry as

I am.

Oefening 2: Choose the correct form

1. De professor wiskunde is (banger/meer bang) dan zijn dochter van

5 jaar.
2. Koen heeft (minder/even veel) geld als Hans.

3. Zonder zijn vrouw was Pieter (armer/meer arm) dan nu.

4. Amerikaanse basketbalspelers zijn vaak (langer/kleiner) dan

Japanse mensen.
5. Lionel Messi is een (goedere/betere) voetballer dan Wesley
Sneijder.
 Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 18)
Below you can find the answers of the exercises corresponding to chapter 18.

Oefening 1: Translate the sentences

1. Michael is a skinnier runner than Rob. Michael is een dunnere hardloper dan Rob.
2. Peter is taller than Dennis but he is as tall as Peter is langer dan Dennis maar hij is zo lang als
Sander. Sander. /
Peter is langer dan Dennis maar hij is even lang
als Sander.
3. Are there more inspiring musicians than Paul Zijn er meer inspirerende muzikanten dan Paul
McCartney? McCartney?
4. My savings account is older than Kate’s dog. Mijn spaarrekening is ouder dan Kates hond.
5. My cousins are as hungry as I am. Mijn neven/nichten zijn net zo hongerig als ik.

Oefening 2: Choose the correct form

1. De professor wiskunde is banger dan zijn dochter van 5 jaar.

2. Koen heeft even veel geld als Hans.
3. Zonder zijn vrouw was Pieter armer dan nu.
4. Amerikaanse basketbalspelers zijn vaak langer dan Japanse mensen.
5. Lionel Messi is een betere voetballer dan Wesley Sneijder.
 Chapter 19: Time for Verbs (Tijd voor Werkwoorden)
Verbs are the one thing that structures a language for the biggest part. Each sentence is constructed
with different verb tenses. In this chapter you will become familiar with using verbs in the Dutch
language. If you just follow the guidelines, you should be capable of learning the most important
basics. So let’s start this trip right now!

General rule for conjugating verbs

For each verb, it is important to find the stem. You can find the stem of a verb by removing [en]
from the infinitive (full verb).

Infinitive in English Infinitive in Dutch Stem in Dutch

To enjoy Genieten Geniet-
To throw Gooien Gooi-
To shoot Schieten Schiet-
To work Werken Werk-

Verbs ending with [ven] or [zen] follow this rule slightly differently:

Infinitive in English Infinitive in Dutch Stem in Dutch

To give Geven Geef-
To live Leven Leef-
To read Lezen Lees-

As soon as you have found the stem of the verb, you can start applying rules to find all verb
forms:

Schieten (to shoot)

Singular 1st Stem Ik schiet
Singular 2nd Stem + t * Jij schiet
Singular 3rd Stem + t * Hij/zij/het schiet
Plural 1st Full verb Wij schieten
Plural 2nd Full verb Jullie schieten
Plural 3rd Full verb Zij schieten

* Note: in 2nd person singular, we will only use the stem when asking a question.Moreover, we will
only use the stem when the full verb already ends with [ten].

When dealing with full verbs with a double consonant, we take off the final three letters, rather
than just [en]:
 Likken (to lick)
Singular 1st Stem Ik lik
Singular 2nd Stem + t * Jij likt
Singular 3rd Stem + t * Hij/zij/het likt
Plural 1st Full verb Wij likken
Plural 2nd Full verb Jullie likken
Plural 3rd Full verb Zij likken

Verbs ending with [ven] or [zen] will thus conjugate as follows:

Lezen
Singular 1st Stem Ik lees
Singular 2nd Stem + t * Jij leest
Singular 3rd Stem + t * Hij/zij/het leest
Plural 1st Full verb Wij lezen
Plural 2nd Full verb Jullie lezen
Plural 3rd Full verb Zij lezen

So far, we have covered the irregular verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’. Another very important verb is ‘to
go’. Please have a look at the following table:

Gaan
Singular 1st Stem Ik ga
Singular 2nd Stem + t * Jij gaat
Singular 3rd Stem + t * Hij/zij/het gaat
Plural 1st Full verb Wij gaan
Plural 2nd Full verb Jullie gaan
Plural 3rd Full verb Zij gaan

Full verbs ending with [den] follow these rules as well. This may seem a bit odd at first, but it is the
one and only correct way to structure these verbs:

Worden (to become)

Singular 1st Stem Ik word
Singular 2nd Stem + t Jij wordt
Singular 3rd Stem + t Hij/zij/het wordt
Plural 1st Full verb Wij worden
Plural 2nd Full verb Jullie worden
Plural 3rd Full verb Zij worden

A list of important verbs to memorize

 English Dutch English Dutch
To lay down Liggen To sit Zitten
To help Helpen To ask Vragen
To say Zeggen To work Werken
To grow Groeien To play Spelen
To laugh Lachen To cry Huilen
To write Schrijven To eat Eten

Knowing how to structure verbs in the present simple form is something you should know by now.
Before moving on to other tenses, we will do a little exercise to test your skills.
 Jouw beurt 1 (Hoofdstuk 19)

1. De man _____ over straat met zijn twee honden. (lopen)

2. Barend _____ morgen 29 jaar oud. (worden)
3. Lize en René ______ samen gelukkig. (zijn)
4. Je _____ hem heel veel aandacht. (geven)
5. _____ je lang als je veel eet? (leven)

Conjugate the verb ‘graven’ (‘to dig’)

Graven (to dig)

Singular 1st Ik
Singular 2nd Jij
Singular 3rd Hij/zij/het
Plural 1st Wij
Plural 2nd Jullie
Plural 3rd Zij

Future simple

Hopefully, that went well! Now, we are going to look at a few other verb tenses. The first one will be
the future simple. This is the easiest tense you will get, once you have understood the theory covered
in this chapter so far. In Dutch, we indicate the future by using a verb form of ‘to be’, followed by the
infinitive.

Gaan + Infinitive
Ik ga lopen
Jij gaat helpen
Hij/zij/het vragen
gaat
Wij gaan groeten
Jullie gaan eten
Zij gaan spelen

This is not the only option. We can also use another verb (‘zullen’), which follows the same structure.
In English, “I will do this” is the way to structure the future tense. This is exactly the same now:

Zullen + Infinitive
Ik zal gaan
Jij zult/zal Huilen
Hij/zij/het zal Liggen
Wij zullen schrijven
 Jullie zullen Lachen
Zij zullen Zeggen

Since we are basically not adding new information, we assume that you can do the future simple
without exercises. However, you must train yourself at memorizing the verbs ‘gaan’ and ‘zullen’. You
will always need them when you are talking about events in the future.

Simple past

The simple past is a verb tense that is used to describe or refer to situations from the past. These
situations have already been finished and then we use this verb tense. Regular verbs will be
conjugated as follows:

Huilen (to cry) Maken (to

make)
Singular 1st Stem + de/te Ik huilde Ik maakte
Singular 2nd Stem + de/te Jij huilde Jij maakte
Singular 3rd Stem + de/te Hij/zij/het Hij/zij/het
huilde maakte
Plural 1st Stem + den/ten Wij huilden Wij maakten
Plural 2nd Stem + den/ten Jullie huilden Jullie maakten
Plural 3rd Stem + den/ten Zij huilden Zij maakten

Whether to use [de] and [den] instead of [te] and [ten] can be determined with a rule. Whenever the
stem of the verb ends with a [t], [k], [f], [s] [ch] or [p], you will use [te] and [ten] while conjugating
the simple past of the verb tense. When stems of the verb end differently, you will use [de] and [den].
The Dutch use the phrase ‘t kofschip to remember this rule. If you exclude the vowels, you get the
exact same consonants as mentioned above. So, whenever you are making the simple past tense, first
find the stem of the verb.

If the stem of a verb ends with [d] or [t], this consant will be doubled in the past tense. A few
examples to illustrate the theory of the simple past:

Verb Stem Stem + de(n) / te(n) ? Example

Praten (to talk) Praat- Stem + te Ik praatte
Werken (to work) Werk- Stem + te Jij werkte
Leven (to live) Leef- Stem + de Zij leefde
Vissen (to fish) Vis- Stem + ten Wij visten
Draaien (to twist) Draai- Stem + den Jullie draaiden
Gooien (to throw) Gooi- Stem + den Zij gooiden

Obviously, again, we find many irregular verbs. There are some that you definitely need to know if
you want to have a serious and lasting conversation:
 Zijn (to be) Hebben (to Weten (to Houden (to hold) Houden van (to love)
have) know)
Ik was Ik had Ik wist Ik hield Ik hield van
Jij was Jij had Jij wist Jij hield Jij hield van
Hij/zij/het was Hij/zij/het had Hij/zij/het wist Hij/zij/het hield Hij/zij/het hield van
Wij waren Wij hadden Wij wisten Wij hielden Wij hielden van
Jullie waren Jullie hadden Jullie wisten Jullie hielden Jullie hielden van
Zij waren Zij hadden Zij wisten Zij hielden Zij hielden van

Please be wary that the English language is given a set of signal words that indicate a past simple
tense. These are called the LADY-words. The Dutch translations of these words also indicate a past
tense:

English Nederlands English example Nederlands voorbeeld

Last Afgelopen Last week I saw it too. Afgelopen week zag ik het ook.
Ago Geleden 2 years ago, I found this cat. 2 jaar geleden vond ik deze kat.
Date Datum On January 3rd, I was there. Op 3 januari was ik daar.
Yesterday Gisteren Yesterday, I helped my father. Gisteren hielp ik mijn vader.
 Jouw beurt 2 (Hoofdstuk 19)
Use the correct form of the simple past to complete the sentences.

1. De flessen _____ in de prullenbak gegooid. (zijn)

2. Jesse _____ de lengte van zijn vader. (meten)

3. Stefan _____ de paarden en de varkens. (voeren)

4. Lisanne en Amy _____ Duits eten. (houden van)

5. Pascal _____ altijd aan zijn vrienden vast.

(plakken)
6. Gijs _____ Lisa en haar vriendinnen niet zonder
lach. (groeten)

Past participle

Now we will turn to the final verb tense that we will cover in this course. The past participle is a
past tense as well and it refers to actions that begun in the past and are still going on or still have
effects on the presents. You could for instance tell your friends the following:

I have finally started doing that Dutch Ik ben eindelijk begonnen met die
course. cursus Nederlands.

Using the past participle in Dutch is fairly easy. You either use a present simple form of the verb ‘zijn’
or ‘hebben’, accompanied by the past participle itself. You use ‘zijn’ when the action is performed on
you (passive form). You use ‘hebben’ when you have performed the action yourself (active form).
Very often, the past participle start with [ge]. In other cases, it starts with [be], [ver] or [ont]. The
ending of the past participle [d], [t] or [en] can differ too. If you are not sure whether to use [d] or [t],
just make the verb form longer in its past tense, and you will hear a [d] or [t]. Examples:

I have run. Ik heb gerend. (because: ik rende)

I have cycled. Ik heb gefietst. (because: ik fietste)

I have finished the study. Ik heb de studie afgemaakt.

He has seen the light after he won the lottery. Hij heeft het licht gezien nadat hij de loterij won.
We are helped by the man with the dark shirt. We zijn geholpen door de man met het donkere
T-shirt.
They have won the game and now they are Ze hebben de wedstrijd gewonnen en nu zijn ze
champions of the league. kampioen van de competitie.
She is dressed in black. Ze is in zwart gekleed.
It has found that we are a rich country. Het heeft gevonden dat we een rijk land zijn.
 Jouw beurt 3 (Hoofdstuk 19)
The last exercise of chapter 19 will require you to use your knowledge to translate a few sentences
from English to Dutch. If you are capable of doing this, you can say you have learned a lot about the
Dutch verb tenses. Good luck!

1. The girls have learned

that we are equal.

2. Everyone has had a

bad experience with
school.

3. The man is dressed as

a woman.

4. Five teams have not

finished the competition.

5. I have learned the most

important Dutch verb
tenses.
 Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 19)
With the answers given below, you can check the exercises you made.

Oefening 1

1. De man loopt over straat met zijn twee honden.

(lopen)
2. Barend wordt morgen 29 jaar oud. (worden)
3. Lize en René zijn samen gelukkig. (zijn)
4. Je geeft hem heel veel aandacht. (geven)
5. Leef je lang als je veel eet? (leven)

Graven (to dig)

Singular st
1 person Ik graaf
Singular 2nd person Jij graaft
Singular 3rd person Hij/zij/het graaft
Plural 1st person Wij graven
Plural 2nd person Jullie graven
Plural 3rd person Zij graven

Oefening 2

1. De flessen waren in de prullenbak gegooid. The bottles were thrown in the trash can.
2. Jesse mat de lengte van zijn vader. Jesse measured his father’s height.
3. Stefan voerde de paarden en de varkens. Stefan fed the horses and the pigs.
4. Lisanne en Amy hielden van Duits eten. Lisanne and Amy loved (or: used to love)
German food.
5. Pascal plakte altijd aan zijn vrienden vast. Pascal sticked to his friends all the time.
6. Gijs groette Lisa en haar vriendinnen niet Gijs greeted Lisa and her friends not without a
zonder lach. smile.

Oefening 3

1. The girls have learned that we are equal. De meiden hebben geleerd dat we gelijk zijn.
2. Everyone has had a bad experience with Iedereen heeft een slechte ervaring met school
school. gehad.
3. The man is dressed as a woman. De man is gekleed als een vrouw.
4. Five teams have not finished the competition. Vijf teams hebben de competitie niet afgemaakt.
5. I have learned the most important Dutch verb Ik heb de meest belangrijke Nederlands
tenses. werkwoordstijden geleerd.
Chapter 20: Adverbs and Prepositions (Bijwoorden en Voorzetsels)
 Adverbs
The adverb (‘bijwoord’) is a word that you can use to provide additional information in sentences. In
English, they can be recognized by the common ending [ly], which is applicable for many adverbs in
the language. In Dutch, adverbs can be used for dozens of things. Here you will be given a list with
the most important ones.

Adverbs regarding place and time

Engels Nederlands Engels Nederlands

Here Hier Now Nu
There, yonder Er Sometimes Soms
There Daar Often Vaak
Somewhere Ergens Always Altijd
Nowhere Nergens Never Nooit
On the left/right Links/Rechts Soon Binnenkort

Engels Nederlands
He is often working in his office. Hij werkt vaak in zijn kantoor.
We always buy ice cream at We kopen altijd ijs op school
school.
On the right, you can find the bank. Rechts kun je de bank vinden.
Sometimes life can be tough. Soms kan het leven hard zijn.

Apart from adverbs as separate words, we can also ‘transform’ adjectives to adverbs. They can
always say something about adjectives, verbs or other adverbs, but not about nouns, because that
would make them adjectives and not adverbs.

Engels Nederlands
Ferrari cars are extremely fast. Ferrari’s zijn extreem snel.
The man runs slowly. De man rent langzaam.
In the zoo, we can visit very In de dierentuin kunnen we zeer mooie
beautiful animals. dieren bezoeken.

As you may have noticed, the Dutch adjective and adverb do not differ. There is no difference
between ‘he is slow’ (hij is langzaam) and ‘he runs slowly’ (hij rent langzaam). Transforming that
adjective is thus something you will not need to bear in mind while having a conversation.

Finally, please be wary that you should never confuse an adverb with an adjective, although its
spelling is the same. An adjective always says something about a noun, and not about adjectives,
verbs or adverbs!
 Prepositions
In order to increase your vocabulary and thus your skills to have conversations, there are several
prepositions that you might be interested in if you want to have great Dutch skills. Below you can find
a list of the most important prepositions in the Dutch language.

Prepositions regarding place and time

Engels Nederlands Engels Nederlands Engels Nederlands

At Op / Om In In To Naar
Above Boven Under Onder From Van
For Voor During Tijdens Behind Achter
Through Door About Over In front Voor
of

If we were to use these examples in full sentences, we would get the following:

Engels Nederlands
He is sitting on his couch. Hij zit op bank.
She goes to the train station. Zij gaat naar het treinstation.
We are waiting in front of the We wachten voor het huis.
house.
You went through that brown door. Jij ging door die bruine deur.
 Jouw beurt (Hoofdstuk 20)
Please fill in the following sentences with the right preposition.

In Voor Door Tijdens Boven Van

1. _____ dat jaar, was hij gelukkig.

2. Ze staan _____ het busstation in Rotterdam.

3. De tweede verdieping is _____ de eerste verdieping.

4. Er ligt een spin _____ het bed van de professor.

5. Het doelpunt _____ Arjen Robben was erg uniek.

6. Wanneer je _____ het huis loopt, zie je veel prachtige

decoraties.
 Antwoorden (Hoofdstuk 20)

1. Tijdens dat jaar, was hij gelukkig. During that year, he was happy.
2. Ze staan voor het busstation in They are standing in front of the bus
Rotterdam. station in Rotterdam.
3. De tweede verdieping is boven de The second floor is above the first
eerste verdieping. floor.
4. Er ligt een spin in het bed van de There is a spider in the professor’s
professor. bed.
5. Het doelpunt van Arjen Robben The goal from Arjen Robben was very
was erg uniek. unique.
6. Wanneer je door het huis loopt, zie When you walk through the house, you
je veel prachtige decoraties. see many beautiful decorations.
 Conclusion

Now,Your Adventure Will Really Start!

Congratulations! This course has learnt you the most important basics of the Dutch language. You can
be sure of one thing: during your next stay in the Netherlands you will be capable of managing
yourself. You can talk to strangers in public, find your way while travelling with public transportation
and even at the airport. But that’s far from everything! Your skills will assist you in describing things,
so a little lack of vocabulary is not a problem as you have covered chapters referring to descriptions,
emotions and questions about asking the way or showing interest!

Pronouncing a word wrong is the least you will have to worry about. Dutch people love it when
foreign people make an effort to learn the language. Domestic citizens are aware of the fact that Dutch
is not the easiest language to study. As a traveler, you will find your way in the Netherlands and you
are capable of speaking the most important basics.

Aren’t you excited yet? This book has not just served as a great tool for learning Dutch, it has also
prepared you for the things that you might come across in the Netherlands. In the introductory part,
moreover, you have read about some important things that you should always keep in mind.

It has been a great pleasure for us to teach you the basic skills of the Dutch language. But now, you
have to show the Netherlands what you have learnt. We wish you all the best with using your skills
and capabilities – hopefully, you will find the experience just as awesome as we did! Good luck and
have fun in the Netherlands!

To your success,

Dagny Taggart
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 Preview Of “Learn Spanish In 7 DAYS! - The Ultimate Crash Course To Learn
The Basics of the Spanish Language In No Time”

Are You ready? It's Time To Learn Spanish!

Most people are daunted by the idea of learning a language. They think it’s impossible, even
unfathomable. I remember as a junior in high school, watching footage of Jackie O giving a speech in
French. I was so impressed and inspired by the ease at which she spoke this other language of which
I could not understand one single word.

At that moment, I knew I had to learn at least one foreign language. I started with Spanish, later took
on Mandarin, and most recently have started learning Portuguese. No matter how challenging and
unattainable it may seem, millions of people have done it. You do NOT have to be a genius to learn
another language. You DO have to be willing to take risks and make mistakes, sometimes even make
a fool of yourself, be dedicated, and of course, practice, practice, practice!

This book will only provide you with the basics in order to get started learning the Spanish language.
It is geared towards those who are planning to travel to a Spanish-speaking country and covers many
common scenarios you may find yourself in so feel free to skip around to the topic that is most prudent
to you at the moment. It is also focused on the Spanish of Latin America rather than Spain. Keep in
mind, every Spanish-speaking country has some language details specific to them so it would be
essential to do some research on the specific country or countries that you will visit.

I will now list some tips that I have found useful and should be very helpful to you in your journey of
learning Spanish. I don’t wish you luck because that will not get you anywhere- reading this book,
dedicating yourself, and taking some risks will!

***Important note***

Due to the nature of this book (it contains charts, graphs, and so on), you will better your reading
experience by setting your device on LANDSCAPE mode!

Language Tips

Tip #1 - Keep an Open Mind

It may seem obvious but you must understand that languages are very different from each other. You
cannot expect them to translate word for word. ‘There is a black dog’ will not translate word for
word with the same word order in Spanish. You have to get used to the idea of translating WHOLE
ideas. So don’t find yourself saying, “Why is everything backwards in Spanish?” because it may
seem that way many times. Keep your mind open to the many differences that you will find in the
language that go far beyond just the words.

Tip #2 - Take Risks

Be fearless. Talk to as many people as you can. The more practice you get the better and don’t worry
about looking like a fool when you say, “I am pregnant” rather than “I am embarrassed,” which as
you will find out can be a common mistake. If anyone is laughing remember they are not laughing at
you. Just laugh with them, move on, and LEARN from it, which brings us to our next tip.

Tip #3 - Learn from your Mistakes

It doesn’t help to get down because you made one more mistake when trying to order at a restaurant,
take a taxi, or just in a friendly conversation. Making mistakes is a HUGE part of learning a language.
You have to put yourself out there as we said and be willing to make tons of mistakes! Why? Because
what can you do with mistakes. You can LEARN from them. If you never make a mistake, you
probably are not learning as much as you could. So every time you mess up when trying to
communicate, learn from it, move on, and keep your head up!

Tip #4 - Immerse yourself in the language

If you’re not yet able to go to a Spanish-speaking country, try to pretend that you are. Surround
yourself with Spanish. Listen to music in Spanish, watch movies, TV shows, in Spanish. Play games
on your phone, computer, etc. in Spanish. Another great idea is to actually put your phone, computer,
tablet and/or other electronic devices in Spanish. It can be frustrating at first but in the end this
exposure will definitely pay off.

Tip #5 - Start Thinking in Spanish

I remember being a senior in high school and working as a lifeguard at a fairly deserted pool. While I
was sitting and staring at the empty waters, I would speak to myself or think to myself (to not seem so
crazy) in Spanish. I would describe my surroundings, talk about what I had done and what I was going
to do, etc. While I was riding my bike, I would do the same thing. During any activity when you don’t
need to talk or think about anything else, keep your brain constantly going in Spanish to get even more
practice in the language. So get ready to turn off the English and jumpstart your Spanish brain!

Tip #6 - Label your Surroundings/Use Flashcards

When I started to learn Portuguese, I bought an excellent book that included stickers so that you could
label your surroundings. So I had stickers all over my parents’ house from the kitchen to the bathroom
that labeled the door, the dishes, furniture, parts of the house, etc. It was a great, constant reminder of
how to say these objects in another language. You can just make your own labels and stick them all
over the house and hope it doesn’t bother your family or housemates too much!

Tip #7 - Use Context clues, visuals, gestures, expressions, etc.

If you don’t understand a word that you have heard or read, look or listen to the surrounding words
and the situation to help you. If you are in a restaurant and your friend says, “I am going to ??? a
sandwich.” You can take a guess that she said order or eat but you don’t have to understand every
word in order to understand the general meaning. When you are in a conversation use gestures,
expressions, and things around you to help communicate your meaning. Teaching English as a second
language to young learners taught me this. If you act everything out, you are more likely to get your
point across. If you need to say the word bird and you don’t know how you can start flapping your
arms and chirping and then you will get your point across and possibly learn how to say bird. It may
seem ridiculous but as I said, you have to be willing to look silly to learn another language and this
greatly helps your language communication and learning.

Tip #8 - Circumlocution

Circumlo… what? This is just a fancy word for describing something when you don’t know how to
say it. If you are looking to buy an umbrella and don’t know how to say it, what can you do? You can
describe it using words you know. You can say, it is something used for the rain that opens and closes
and then hopefully someone will understand you, help you, and maybe teach you how to say this
word. Using circumlocution is excellent language practice and is much better than just giving up when
you don’t know how to say a word. So keep talking even if you have a limited vocabulary. Say what
you can and describe or act out what you can’t!
SECTION 1: THE BASICS
 Chapter 1: Getting the Pronunciation Down
Below I will break down general Spanish pronunciation for the whole alphabet dividing it into
vowels and consonants. One great thing about Spanish is that the letters almost always stay consistent
as far as what sound they make. Unlike English in which the vowels can make up to 27 different
sounds depending on how they are mixed. Be thankful that you don’t have to learn English or at least
have already learned English. There are of course some sounds in Spanish that we never make in
English and you possibly have never made in your life. So get ready to start moving your mouth and
tongue in a new way that may seem strange at first but as I keep saying, practice makes perfect!

The charts on the next page will explain how to say the letter, pronounce it, and if there is an example
in an English word of how to say it I put it in the right column.

Vowel Sounds

Vowel How to say the How to pronounce As in…

letter it in a word
a Ah Ah Taco
e Eh Eh Egg
i Ee Ee Easy
o Oh Oh Open
u Oo Oo Book

Consonant Sounds

Consonant How to say the How to pronounce it As in…

letter in a word
b beh similar to English b
c ceh k after a,o, or u cat
s after e or i cereal
ch cheh ch cheese
d deh a soft d (place your three
tongue at the back of
your upper teeth)
f efe F free
g geh h before i or e him
g before a, o, u go
h ache silent
j hota H him
k kah K karaoke
l ele like English l with
tongue raised to roof
of mouth
 ll eye Y yes
m eme M money

n ene N no
ñ enye Ny canyon
p peh like English p but
you don’t aspirate

Consonants continued

Consonant How to say the How to pronounce As in…

letter it in a word
Q koo k (q is always quilt
followed by u like
English)
R ere * at the beginning
of a word you must
roll your r’s by
vibrating tongue at
roof of mouth
* in the middle of a
word it sounds like
a soft d
rr erre roll your r’s as
mentioned above
S ese Like English s sorry
T teh a soft English t, the
tongue touches the
back of the upper
teeth
V veh like Spanish b boots

Consonants continued

Consonant How to say the How to pronounce As in…

letter it in a word
w dobleveh like English w water
x equis *Between vowels *box
and at the end of a
word, it sounds
like the English
ks. *sorry
*At the beginning
of a word, it
 sounds like the
letter s.
y igriega like English y yellow

z seta s six

Note: If you’re not sure how to pronounce a word, one thing you can do is type it in Google
translate then click on the little speaker icon in the bottom left corner to hear the correct
pronunciation.

Click here to check out the rest of “Learn Spanish In 7 DAYS! - The Ultimate Crash Course To
Learning The Basics of The Spanish Language In No Time" on Amazon
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 About the Author
Dagny Taggart is a language enthusiast and polyglot who travels the world,
inevitably picking up more and more languages along the way.

Taggart’s true passion became learning languages after she realized the
incredible connections with people that it fostered. Now she just can’t get
enough of it. Although it’s taken time, she has acquired vast knowledge on the
best and fastest ways to learn languages. But the truth is, she is driven simply by
her motive to build exceptional links and bonds with others.

She is inspired everyday by the individuals she meets across the globe. For her, there’s simply not
anything as rewarding as practicing languages with others because she gets to make friends with
people from all that come from a variety of cultures. This, in turn, has broadened her mind and
thinking more than she would have ever imagined it could.

Of course, as a result of her constant travels, Taggart has become an expert on planning trips and
making the most of time spent out of what she calls her “base” town. She jokes that she’s practically
at the nomad status now, but she’s more content to live that way.

She knows how to live on a manageable budget weather she’s in Paris or Phnom Penh. She knows
how to seek out the adventures and thrills, no doubt, lying in wait at any city she visits. She knows
that reflection on each every experience is significant if she wants to grow as a traveler and student of
the world’s cultures.

Because of this, Taggart chooses to share her understanding of languages and travel so that others, too,
can experience the same life-altering benefits she has.