“Unfortunately, peanut butter…” About learning Dutch
Do you need to learn Dutch?
Living in The Netherlands can be a great experience, but at times you will encounter challenges if you don't understand the language. Learning Dutch is essential if you want to get the most out of your time in the country, it will open up more doors for you, from understanding the culture to accessing services and creating career opportunities. Learning Dutch is a worthwhile investment that will make your stay in The Netherlands much more enjoyable.
Hereby some interesting Dutch expressions we haven’t find in other languages.
The expression "DE KAT UIT DE BOOM KIJKEN" (pronounced duh kaht out duh bohm kieken) literally means "to look the cat out of the tree" but actually means to wait and see how things turn out.
“HELAAS PINDAKAAS” is a Dutch phrase that translates to "unfortunately peanut butter" and means ‘too bad’.
"UITWAAIEN” means "to take a walk in the wind for fun." A great example of the Dutch love for the outdoors and the environment.
HOW TO LEARN DUTCH (for free)?
There are many options available - from apps to free group lessons, online chats to classroom style! To help you figure it out, we've rounded up our top 3 favourite sources of formation about ways to learn Dutch at the moment. Check them out here (click on the link to get to the page):
TOP 16 FREE WAYS TO LEARN DUTCH: in this article from ‘Dutchreview’, Christine Stein (Danish student living in The Hague) shares some great options to learn Dutch for free.
DUTCH COURSES IN THE NETHERLANDS: check out this site where you will find options for courses in 15 different cities in The Netherlands (Hilversum, Maastricht, Zwolle…), as well as online.
THE 11 BEST APPS TO LEARN DUTCH: Tested and reviewed by Langoly.
TIPS FROM THE ‘TRIBE’
Some TRIBE NL members are working on their Dutch as well and have some tips for you….
MERCEDES (19, from Spain - Student/F&B)
“I have been learning Dutch for one year and one of the things that I found really useful was Duolingo, just to learn the basics, but you must be consistent and dedicate at least 15 minutes a day. When you reach a certain level, watching movies or children's programs in Dutch helps. When I read in Dutch and I feel the need to translate it to a language I understand, I do it to English instead of Spanish because the connections between Dutch and English are greater than between Dutch and Spanish. It is important to learn pronunciation from the the beginning because again, I find it easier to make connections”
YANA (45, from Ukraine - F&B Employee)
“When I arrived in the Netherlands one year ago, I was a bit overwhelmed by the language barriers, but I was determined to improve my English and learn some Dutch as quickly as possible. I have been taking advantage of apps like “Speak asap”, “Babbel”… but specially “Busuu” (and “Cake” for English pronounciation), I found these resources very useful and enjoyable to use. I have made an effort to connect with local Dutch people, who were incredibly helpful and encouraging in my language learning process, and watching YouTube films to learn some Dutch and improve my English and I really feel I am improving. I am proud of my achievement so far and I am excited to continue to learn and improve my language skills in the future.”
ÁNGEL (22, from Spain - F&B Employee)
“I am learning Dutch with DuoLingo, and after just a few months I have seen quite some progress! It is a fun way to learn and I can do it any time I feel like it. I also ask my team members to communicate with me in Dutch, which has proven to be an great aid in my learning journey”
TIP FROM THE TRIBE - GOOGLE LENS -
Most our TRIBE members use Google Lens translator on a DAILY basis!. It will provide you a real-time translation of any text standing in front of your camera (or from a picture) from and to more than 100 different languages.
They are several films explaining how it works, like this one.
DID YOU KNOW?
The official language in the Netherlands is Dutch. It is a West Germanic, Low Franconian language that originated in the Early Middle Ages (c. 470) and was standardised in the 16th century.
Some recognised provincial languages and regional dialects.
West Frisian (Fries): a co-official language in the province of Friesland.
Papiamento: an official language in the special municipality of Bonaire. It is also the native language in the autonomous states of Curaçao and Aruba.
Limburgish (Limburgs): a low Franconian dialect, spoken in the province of Limburg.
Dutch Low Saxon (Nedersaksisch) dialects: are spoken in much of the north-east of the country and are recognised as regional languages according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
Remember…
The best way to improve your language skills is using it!. Ask you colleagues and friends to help you by speaking in Dutch to you. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Have fun with it and don’t forget to laugh… it will get better.