Casper Zweerus, Author at Dutch Ready

Where is Dutch spoken?

Casper Zweerus — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 22:59:26 +0000

Where is Dutch spoken?

Even though we are proud of our language, we know that Dutch is not necessarily a very popular language to learn. Hardly anyone in the world speaks it right? Isn’t it also pretty difficult to learn? And don’t all Dutchies understand English anyway?

Yes, we’ve heard it all before. But did you know that Dutch is an official language in 5 countries? That it’s spoken in even more countries than that? And that it’s not that difficult to learn due to its similarities to English and German, and the predictability in pronunciation and grammar?

In this article, we’ll inform you where in the world you’ll be able to practice your Dutch vocabulary besides the Netherlands, and we’ll give you a little background of the language in general. You’ll be surprised to find out that there are actually more than 1 or 2 countries in the world where the words “gezellig” and “bitterballen” are found in the national dictionary!

The Dutch language

Dutch language (called “Nederlands” in Dutch) is the official language of the Netherlands, where 17 million people live. It is grouped within the Germanic Languages category, meaning that it shares a common origin with English, German and Scandinavian languages. The earliest documents in Dutch date from approximately the end of the 12th century, although “Old Dutch” is said to be spoken already from the 6th century onwards. The Dutch we are now familiar with (called Modern Dutch) originated in the 16th century.

By now Modern Dutch knows hundreds of local dialects, is taught at more than 220 universities in 40 countries and is spoken by approximately 5 million people in the EU as a second language. Worldwide there are around 23 million native speakers of Dutch. Not that bad right?

With our dialogue bundle Praatgraag, you can step into this Dutch-speaking world by practicing real-life Dutch conversations in a fun and interactive way. Praatgraag is a great way to build your fluency and confidence, and connect with others in Dutch. Download the free Praatgraag A1 or Praatgraag A2 sample and try it out today!

What about Frisian?

Approximately 350,000 people in The Netherlands know another native language besides Dutch, and this language is called Frisian (“Fries”). Frisian is spoken and understood by most of the inhabitants of the province of Friesland, and is closely related to Dutch and English.

So is Frisian easy to understand then? Not really! Most Dutchies struggle to follow a Frisian conversation as the grammar, pronunciation and some of the words and expressions tend to be quite different from Dutch. Here are a few examples:

English

Elbow

Dutch

Elleboog

Frisian

Earmtakke

English

See you tomorrow!

Dutch

Tot morgen!

Frisian

Oant Moarn!

English

Where are you from?

Dutch

Waar kom je vandaan?

Frisian

Wêr komst do wei?

Where is Dutch spoken?

So we know about the 17 million people in the Netherlands speaking Dutch, but where do these other 6 million Dutch speakers live exactly?

Dutch is spoken in Belgium

Along with French, Dutch is the official language of Flanders, a region in the north of Belgium. Over 60% of the Belgian population therefore knows and speaks Dutch as their mother tongue.

Coming from the Netherlands it will not always be easy to understand Belgians, seeing their pronunciation and local dialects can differ quite a lot. “Belgian Dutch” (also known as Flemish) is known to sound softer, with a French ring to it. You will not hear the well-known harsh Dutch “g”-sound in Belgium, and the intonation also tends to be more melodic than in The Netherlands. Another difference is that Belgians mostly use the polite you-form(“u”), where the Dutch will address each other with the informal “jij” most of the time. The good news for those studying Dutch: grammar in both countries knows no difference.

Dutch is spoken in Surinam

As a former colony of the Netherlands, Dutch is still considered to be the official language of the government in Surinam. You will therefore mainly hear Dutch on tv, in newspapers and at schools. Approximately 60% of the population speaks Dutch as their mother tongue, mostly combined with Sranan, an English based creole.

Fun fact: Did you know that the 2021 Dutch Eurovision song “Birth of a New Age” was partially sung in Sranan Tongo? Dutch singer-songwriter Jeangu Macrooysinge – born and raised in Paramaribo – paid homage to his Surinam roots by phrasing an old “odo” in his song saying: “Mi Na Afu Sensi, No Wan Man E Broko Mi” (I’m half a cent, you can’t break me).

Dutch is spoken on the Dutch Antilles (Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten)

Dutch is also used as the official language of administration on the tropical islands of Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten. Even though most Antilleans will understand when you order your cocktail in Dutch, only 7% to 8% of the population actually considers Dutch to be their first language. Papiamento (a Spanish and Portuguese – based creole) is the most widely spoken language on the islands, with English coming in second.

Dutch is (sort of) spoken in South Africa

One of the 11 official languages in South Africa is Afrikaans, which has its roots in Dutch. As a Dutchie, you will most likely understand a great deal of Afrikaans, as most words are super similar to those we know in Dutch. To show you some examples:

English

Breakfast

Dutch

Ontbijt

Afrikaans

Ontbyt

English

School

Dutch

School

Afrikaans

Skool

English

Action

Dutch

Actie

Afrikaans

Aksie

There are 7 million native speakers of Afrikaans in South Africa while approximately 10 million inhabitants speak Afrikaans as their second language.

Where else is Dutch spoken?

Even though there are no other countries currently recognizing Dutch as an official language, some parts of the world are still somewhat linked to the Dutch. Take Indonesia for example; a former colony of the Netherlands where Dutch was considered an official language from the 17th century up to 1949. Many older people still speak the language up to this date, lots of legal documents are still only available in Dutch, and several thousands of students in Indonesia take Dutch courses yearly.

You might also hear Dutch in countries such as Canada and Australia, where many Dutchies moved to in the 1950s to set up a new life after the Second World War. These adventure-seekers passed on their language to the next generations and have therefore kept a lot of Dutch words and sentences alive. There are currently said to be over 1 million Canadians and 240.000 Australians living in both countries with Dutch ancestry.

Ready to learn Dutch?

Now you know where in the world Dutch is spoken, it might become more appealing to pick up your books and start your Dutch course right? Did you know that Dutch is not even that hard of a language to learn? The language itself might sound difficult at times, but due to its similarities to English and German, it’s actually a lot easier than you think!

Dutch Ready takes what you already know from English, and uses this during class to kickstart your Dutch. Furthermore, we hand out lots of tips and tricks on how to make studying easier and help you learn Dutch as quickly and efficiently as possible. You could also check out our free dictionary of nearly-identical Dutch and English words on Quizlet.com/DutchReady.

Are you serious about learning Dutch? Don’t wait any longer to get started (or to pick up where you left), and buy a Dutch test lesson to experience the learning journey with one of our dedicated, experienced tutors! A personal intake and level assessment are included in the price of your test lesson.

The post Where is Dutch spoken? appeared first on Dutch Ready.

Learning Dutch in your sleep, fact or fiction?

Casper Zweerus — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:15:19 +0000

Learning Dutch in your sleep

Fact or Fiction?

Going to bed at night and waking up a Dutch genius. Learning in your sleep; it sounds like a scene from a science fiction movie. Too good to be true right? Well, depending on how you ask the question, there’s actually some truth to it. It all has to do with how the brain works and how it stores new information.

Learning without studying?

There have been some amazing stories over the years of people waking up from a coma, suddenly being able to speak or understand a language, at a level that they never had before.

Ben McMahon for instance, had only learned some basic Mandarin in high school. Yet, after waking up from a week-long coma, he was suddenly fully fluent. Even completely forgetting his native English for a few days. The event still baffles neuroscientists to this day. However, a coma might not be a particularly practical way to tackle language learning.

Aside from anecdotal evidence, there has been proper neuroscientific research into learning during sleep as well. However, all of these studies seem to conclude one thing: yes, you can learn during your sleep. But no, it can’t be something you don’t know yet. That sounds contradictory, right? Learning something you already know? How does that make sense?

Learning what you know already

Well, what does it mean to learn something? Is that just seeing the information, or is it actually remembering that information later? I’d argue the latter. So, in a way, learning something always means you’re not just processing new information. You’re making that information accessible later as well. A large part of this learning process actually involves information you already know. Because your brain requires starting points in order to remember information.

Understanding how the brain actually ‘learns’, how it selects and stores new information, will help speed up your Dutch learning dramatically. And yes, that has a lot to do with sleep.

Your brain never sleeps

Your brain stores new information by making connections. Every new thing you learn, you only learn in relation to something else you already know. That’s why learning something new often takes longer in the beginning. You don’t have any other information to relate it to. It’s all new. As you know more and more about something, you can start seeing how things relate to each other. This means your brain is able to make more connections, and so better store that new information.

When you learn your first few Dutch words, they might sound and look strange to you. As you learn more and more of them and practice your Dutch pronunciation, you start seeing similarities in sound, spelling or meaning. This makes it easier to remember the new words because you can relate them to something you already know.

For this reason, you’ll often hear the advice of working with mnemonics when studying vocabulary. Mnemonics are memory devices that help you learn new information, often based on sound or meaning. For instance, knowing that the Dutch word for mnemonic, ‘ezelsbruggetje’, oddly translates to ‘donkey bridge’, makes it easier to remember. Actually, mnemonics are nothing more than a way to increase the connections you’re able to make with a new piece of information. And more connections means easier learning. The same is true for all other aspects of language, even grammar.

The hippocampus, in particular, is a brain region tasked with trying to remember everything that happens. As you go about your day, your hippocampus is storing all kinds of information this way, non-stop. Like what you had for breakfast, some new Dutch words you learnt, or the name of that tv-show your friend recommended. Even small things, like where you put your keys are (usually) stored in memory. Once you go to sleep, all that seems like it might stop. But it doesn’t.

Interestingly enough, the brain remains fully active during sleep, even if that activation looks a little different. During sleep, your brain isn’t focused on making new connections. Instead, your brain is deciding which connections to keep. So essentially, what to remember. It strengthens some connections while discarding others. We call this process memory consolidation, and sleep is critical for it to work properly. During sleep, your hippocampus actually replays all the information it stored before. As it does so, it connects that information to other parts of your brain, slowly moving what you learned out of the hippocampus to make room for new information. Any information that’s not critical isn’t moved to the rest of your brain, but simply deleted instead.

Why do you remember something?

There are two factors that are especially important for your brain when it comes to deciding what information to keep, and what information to discard. Namely; how recently something occurred, and how well connected that new information is.

Recency is important because it has to do with continuity. Something you’ve recently encountered is more likely to be used in the near future. If you already forgot the previous sentence, it’s hard to make sense of the next one. Forget where you fell asleep and you’ll wake up in a panic. The longer you go without re-using the information, the less likely you are to remember it. That’s why you can’t remember what you had for breakfast on Tuesday two weeks ago. Yet, you should have no trouble remembering what you ate this morning.

Likewise, if new information is well connected, it often means it is relevant to you personally. After all, it can only connect to something you already remember. The more things it can connect to, the better it fits into your existing knowledge. If you learn something new about a completely random topic, you won’t be able to form a lot of connections. But then again, you most likely won’t need it anymore. However, if you learn something new at work, you can immediately understand why it’s valuable, and how you can use it. You automatically connect the new information to existing information.

Learning Dutch while you sleep

So here’s the great thing, you can actually make use of both of those factors (recency and connectivity) when you’re studying vocabulary. And by doing so, you’ll learn new words much faster than you would otherwise.

First off, make sure you’re getting the benefits of sleep consolidation. This means thinking about how your study schedule interacts with your sleep schedule. Try studying vocabulary in the evening before bed, so that the information is recent. That way it has a higher chance of being consolidated. Self-study using an e-learning module Dutch can come in handy here, because it gives you complete control over when you study. Not really an evening learner? Try taking a short nap (at least 20 minutes) after learning some new words to still get the benefits that sleep brings. It would be a shame to lose your progress because you still have the rest of the day in between. Like we discussed before, recency is important. Don’t let your hard work go to waste.

Additionally, make sure the information is well connected. Don’t just study word lists by themselves. Try to make associations, sound out words, and write them down. Create mnemonics for words you have difficulty with. The more visual and personal the connections are, the better you’ll be able to remember them. You want to try and connect each new word in as many different ways as possible. That way the new information has the best chance of being consolidated.

Curious about more science-backed studying techniques? In that case, our blog post on the best ways to learn Dutch (and how to stick with it) might be for you as well.

Learning something new while you sleep is, for now, still within the realm of science fiction. But making strategic use of sleep and the way the brain processes information does make learning new vocabulary more efficient. Want to get started learning Dutch vocabulary? Download our Core Vocab tool for free from our website and start practicing with the 3000 words that are most often used in daily Dutch life and conversations. And are you a (native) speaker of English, French, or Spanish? In that case, our (also free to download) Easy Vocab tool can come in handy as well. Download the Dutch-English, Dutch-French or Dutch-Spanish version to discover how many words have the same origin and how easy learning new Dutch vocabulary can actually be.

“Slaap lekker!” (Sleep well!)

The post Learning Dutch in your sleep, fact or fiction? appeared first on Dutch Ready.

Finding flow in language learning

Casper Zweerus — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:14:32 +0000

Finding flow in language learning

Optimal flow, also known as the “flow state,” is a state of peak performance in which an individual is fully immersed and focused on the task at hand. Research has shown that experiencing optimal flow can lead to increased productivity and motivation, as well as a deeper sense of satisfaction and enjoyment. In the realm of language learning, achieving the flow state can have significant benefits, including faster acquisition of new skills and a greater retention of information. By understanding how to enter and maintain the flow state, language learners can optimize their study sessions and ultimately improve their overall progress and success in learning a new language.

Optimal flow was first described in the 1970s by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Csikszentmihalyi, a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, has received numerous awards for his contributions to the field of psychology. The term optimal flow was recently brought back into the public eye with his book “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience”.

Proof Flow Works

Neuroscientific research has shown that the flow state is not just a psychological experience, but is also accompanied by tangible changes in brain activity such as:

Increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for focus and attention, as well as decreased activity in the default mode network, which is associated with self-related thoughts and distractions (Tang et al., 2015).
Increased connectivity in the brain, leading to improved learning and problem solving (Jung et al., 2010).
Increased release of dopamine and other neurotransmitters that facilitate learning and memory consolidation (Jackson & Csikszentmihalyi, 1999).
Increased production of endorphins, which can lead to feelings of pleasure and enjoyment (Jackson et al., 2013).

In other words, during flow you’re more tuned in, better able to relate and remember new information, and enjoying the learning process to boot.

Image by Freepik

These neurophysiological changes can lead to improved learning and performance in a variety of tasks, including language learning (Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2014). For instance:

Individuals who experienced a flow state while learning have significantly increased motivation, language performance, and language learning strategies compared to those who do not experience flow (Li, 2003).
Flow significantly improves oral proficiency (MacIntyre, Clément, Dörnyei, & Noels, 1998).
Flow leads to increased retention and comprehension of new vocabulary (Dunlosky & Metcalfe, 2013).

Why Does Flow Work?

So, why does optimal flow lead to improved language learning? One reason may be that it allows learners to fully engage with the material, rather than becoming distracted or disengaged. Optimal flow can also increase motivation and persistence, leading to more consistent and dedicated practice.

Additionally, the flow state triggers many chemical changes in the brain that help create connections, retain information, and recall it again later. Which means that all that extra focus and motivation has an even bigger impact.

The state is characterized by a feeling of effortless concentration and enjoyment. No wonder individuals who experience optimal flow are more likely to engage in activities for longer periods of time and to perform at their best.

Image by wayhomestudio on Freepik.

How to achieve flow?

To achieve a flow state in language learning, it is important to find an activity that is engaging and challenging, but not overly difficult. Ideally, the difficulty of what you are trying to learn is just outside your comfort zone. Meaning, it is still something you struggle with, but it isn’t so new or challenging that it’s overwhelming.

Is the material too easy? You’ll likely lose interest as your progress stalls. Make it too hard, and you’ll be likely to quit in frustration. In essence, you need to find the perfect balance between ease and difficulty, comfort and discomfort. By materials, by the way, we don’t necessarily mean a textbook. Did you know that creative activities are one of the proven tips to practice Dutch in daily life?

It is also important to set specific and achievable goals for the language learning session. A clear structure and a quiet, distraction-free environment can help focus your mind and facilitate flow. It may also be helpful to have a sense of control over the learning process, as well as immediate feedback on progress. With practice and patience, it is possible to enter a flow state and greatly improve language learning abilities.

Our private language lessons are the perfect place to enter the flow state. We customize the lessons to make sure they’re always at the right level, and focus on your own personal goals. Our patient tutors help structure the process and provide you with direct feedback during your speaking or writing. Interested in trying out private Dutch lessons? We offer online Dutch lessons as well as face-to-face Dutch lessons.

Finding flow with (private) lessons

Our private Dutch language lessons are the perfect place to enter the flow state. We customize the lessons to make sure they’re always at the right level, and focus on your own personal goals. Our patient tutors help structure the process and provide you with direct feedback during your speaking or writing. Interested in trying out private Dutch lessons? It will only take you a minute to sign up for a test lesson Dutch. A personal intake and a level assessment are included in your test lesson.

Our e-learning as an alternative

Are you more of a self-taught person? We also have the option to study with our e-learning Dutch, which is currently available at levels A0-A1 and A1-A2. Our e-learning covers all the grammar you need to be fully prepared for language use in daily life and exams. The inductive and practical exercises make this self-study optimally engaging and the ideal tool for online learning tailored to your needs.

Curious about more language hacks to help you learn Dutch fast? Check out our other blogs about effective language learning, like our blog article on how to study vocabulary effectively with spaced repetition or how to improve your Dutch pronunciation. You can also follow us on Instagram for mini lessons and more information on the Dutch language and culture.

Scientific references in this article

We believe science-backed education is the future. Therefore we will always include links to the scientific research on which we base our methodology. The articles cited in this article are:

Dunlosky, J., & Metcalfe, J. (2013). Metacognition. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 317-344.

Jackson, S. A., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1999). Flow in sports: The keys to optimal experiences and performances. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Jackson, S. A., Eklund, R., and Maier, M. (2013). Optimal experience in sport: A review of flow theory and its practical implications. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 6(1), 50-66.

Jung, Y., McNamara, T., & Magliano, J. (2010). Neuronal basis of flow experience during computer game play. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13(2), 185-190.

Li, Y. (2003). The effects of flow experience on motivation and language learning outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(4), 740-748.

MacIntyre, P. D., Clément, R., Dörnyei, Z., & Noels, K. A. (1998). Conceptualizing willingness to communicate in a L2: A situational model of L2 confidence and affiliation. Modern Language Journal, 82(4), 545-562.

Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). The concept of flow. In Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (pp. 5-26). Springer Netherlands.

Tang, Y. Y., Ma, Y., Fan, Y., Feng, S., Lu, Q., Yu, Q., … Posner, M. I. (2015). Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(35), 10742-10747.

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Effective vocabulary with Zipf’s Law

Casper Zweerus — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:14:00 +0000

Effective vocabulary with Zipf's Law

Are you trying to learn Dutch but feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of words you need to know? Well, you might not actually need all that many to hold a basic conversation. Insights from linguistics and mathematics show that you won’t need much more than 750 carefully selected words. It’s all about studying smarter. Let’s discuss Zipf’s Law and see why 750 is such a magical number.

What is Zipf’s Law?

Zipf’s law, named after linguist George Zipf, is a principle in linguistics that describes the frequency of words in a language. However, It seems that French stenographer Jean-Baptiste Estoup noticed the pattern before it was popularized by Zipf (Fairthorne, 1969). According to Zipf’s law, the frequency of a word is inversely proportional to its rank in a frequency table. In other words, the most frequent word will occur twice as often as the second most frequent word, three times as often as the third most frequent word, and so on.

Zipf’s law has been observed in various languages and has been found to hold true across a wide range of language corpora (Fagan & Gençay, 2010). The law has been used to analyze the vocabulary of languages, predict the difficulty of language learning, and even to design more efficient computer algorithms.

While it has been observed that Zipf’s law holds true for all languages, including constructed languages like Esperanto (Manaris et al., 2006), the exact reason for this is still not fully understood.

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

Why does it matter?

It matters because this means that you can cheat your way to basic Dutch fluency by carefully selecting the vocabulary you study. Luckily, we can estimate how many words we need to speak and understand Dutch, at least in a basic form.

According to Zipf’s Law:

The top 50 words of a language cover approximately 25% of the vocabulary.
The top 100 words of a language cover approximately 50% of the vocabulary.
The top 250 words of a language cover approximately 65% of the vocabulary.
The top 500 words of a language cover approximately 75% of the vocabulary.
The top 750 words of a language cover approximately 80% of the vocabulary.

The first few words make up much more of the vocabulary than words that are ranked lower in frequency. From 50 to 100 words the coverage jumps from 25% to 50%. However, by adding an additional 250 words to the top ranked 500 words, you’ll only add 5% coverage. And after that each new word will cover only a smaller and smaller percentage of spoken or written Dutch.

How to use Zipf’s law to speed up learning

By focusing on just 750 words you can learn about 80% of the words found in common spoken and written Dutch. Don’t think you can manage 750 words? By learning just 250, you’ll already be able to understand 65% of spoken and written Dutch.

Photo by Chris Benson on Unsplash

The first 250 words will cover mostly words that are absolutely core to the language. Verbs like ‘hebben’ (to have), ‘zijn’ (to be), ‘willen’ (to want), ‘eten’ (to eat), ‘drinken (to drink), etc. Nouns focussing mostly on the family and work. Adjectives that demonstrate clear differences such as ‘groot’ (big) and ‘klein’ (small) or ‘nieuw’ (new) and ‘oud’ (old). These words will be enough to understand very basic conversations and communicate simple ideas.

The next 250 words, bringing us up to 500 words, covers just 10% of the Dutch vocabulary. However it helps broaden understanding with verbs such as ‘geven’ (to give), ‘helpen’ (to help), ‘proberen’ (to try), and ‘wachten’ (to wait). Nouns focus more on spaces, the body and other people. You’ll also see a bunch of words that are used to express emotion. These 250 words help express your feelings and relate to other people and things.

The next 250 words, bringing us to a total of 750 words, cover just 5% of the words in spoken and written Dutch words. These words add important new skills, such as the words related to counting and family. Verbs such as ‘zoeken’ (to search), ‘vallen’ (to fall), and ‘slapen’ (to sleep) further expand your ability to have simple conversations.

Our Top Dutch Words To Learn

We’ve done a corpus analysis of over 20.000 hours of spoken Dutch in tv-programmes. From all that data we’ve collected the 750 most frequently occurring words and stuck them together in a convenient list to help you study. You can get started with our Core Vocabulary lists for free on Quizlet.

Over time, however, we have further expanded our vocabulary list. Want to be able to accomplish more than just basic conversation? Our Core Vocab tool, available for free download from our website, makes everyday conversation even easier. The list contains more than 3,000 words, conveniently divided into word categories and including conjugations of all verbs in three tenses. By consulting the list regularly and using smart learning techniques such as Spaced Repetition, you’ll make great strides toward fluency from day one.

Want to actually put those new words into action? During our private Dutch lessons you’ll have more than enough time to practice. Personal 1 on 1 guidance from one of our tutors ensures you’ll make amazing progress in very little time. We offer online Dutch lessons as well as face-to-face Dutch lessons. Click the buttons below to find out more!

Scientific references in this article

We believe science-backed education is the future. Therefore we will always include links to the scientific research on which we base our methodology. The articles cited in this article are:

Fagan, S., & Gençay, R. (2010), “An introduction to textual econometrics”, in Ullah, Aman; Giles, David E. A. (eds.), Handbook of Empirical Economics and Finance, CRC Press, pp. 133–153.

Fairthorne, R.A. (1969). “Empirical Hyperbolic Distributions (Bradford‐Zipf‐Mandelbrot) for Bibliometric Description and Prediction”. Journal of Documentation. 25 (4): 319–343.

Manaris, B., Pellicoro, L.; Pothering, G., Hodges, H. (2006). Investigating Esperanto’s statistical proportions relative to other languages using neural networks and Zipf’s law. Artificial Intelligence and Applications. Innsbruck, Austria. pp. 102–108.

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Traditions in The Netherlands | New Year’s Eve explained

Casper Zweerus — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:13:36 +0000

Traditions in the Netherlands | New Year's Eve explaind

Eating 12 grapes at midnight, wearing red underwear, decorating a New Year Tree…every country and culture has its own set of New Year’s Eve traditions, and the Netherlands is no exception to the rule. While the evening itself mainly revolves around eating, drinking and fireworks, the morning after has a cold surprise in store for you that you might not expect (or are looking forward to). Here’s all you need to know about New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands!

Celebrate the New Year with oliebollen and appelflappen

As an expat in the Netherlands you must have heard about “oliebollen”, freely translated as oil balls and also known as Dutch doughnuts. These delicious deep fried delicacies are made of flour, yeast, eggs, milk and raisins and are usually eaten warm with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top. Another traditional snack in the oliebollen-category are “appelflappen”, small deep fried pies filled with apple and particularly tasty when eaten fresh and hot.

Although oliebollen and appelflappen are traditionally eaten on New Year’s Eve (and New Year’s Day serving as a hangover breakfast), oliebollen-stalls are already set up throughout the country from November on. Getting your deep-fried snacks on the 31st of December can present a challenge at times, as stalls are usually crowded from the early morning till late in the evening. Don’t ever get your oliebollen or appelflappen from the supermarket though, you’ll want them fresh and straight from the frying pan.

Want to feel like a true Dutchie and make your own oliebollen? Find a delicious recipe here!

Light your own fireworks on New Year’s Eve

From 6 pm on New Year’s Eve until 2 am on New Year’s Day, Dutchies are allowed to light their own fireworks out on the streets. Isn’t that dangerous you wonder? Well, yes it is, as injuries and vandalism occur frequently and emergency rooms are usually packed on the evening of the 31st. Purchased fireworks do need to comply with certain legal standards, and may only be sold during the last three days of the year.

Although it might sound like a crazy idea, lighting fireworks is a tradition that many Dutchies have fond memories of, specifically from when they were young. Carefully selecting your fireworks in advance, lighting them up at midnight with your parents while wishing everybody in the street Happy New Year’s…when you ignore the nuisance, injuries and air pollution, it’s actually a pretty fun tradition.

Tip: More a professional firework kind-of-person? Then visit Rotterdam on New Year’s to watch the national fireworks from the Erasmusbridge!

Enter the New Year a millionaire with an Oudejaarslot

An “oudejaarslot” is a lottery ticket explicitly sold for the Dutch New Year’s Lottery. The ticket includes a specific and unique number (that you choose) and offers a grand prize of around 30 million euros. The results are announced at midnight, and apart from the grand prize there are several smaller prizes to win as well. What a great start to the New Year that would be right?

Go to a party or create one at home

As happens in many countries and cities around the world, bars and clubs in The Netherlands generally organize specific (highly expensive) parties during New Year’s Eve. If you’re spending New Year’s Eve in The Netherlands, it’s highly recommended to buy your tickets for a particular party in advance, as there will hardly be any public places open to bypassers. Same goes for restaurants, where you are expected to make your reservation weeks ahead.

As the search for a great party usually creates lots of “gedoe” (Dutch for ‘issues / troubles’), Dutchies normally tend to stay at home and create get-togethers with friends, family and other loved ones. The evening will generally consist of eating lots of oliebollen, playing board games, watching the “Nieuwjaarsconference” (stand up comedy on tv), and lighting fireworks at midnight, accompanied by champagne.

Start the New Year fresh with a Nieuwjaarsduik

One of the most interesting New Year’s traditions in the Netherlands must be the Nieuwjaarsduik (also known as the Polar Bear Plunge). Every New Year’s Day at 12 pm, over 30.000 people around the country collectively dive into the icy cold waters of the North Sea to start the year afresh. The event is professionally organised at 89 beach locations along the coast and is free for everyone to attend. Unox (a brand famous for its wintery dishes), adopted the Nieuwjaarsduik years ago and started the tradition to wear a Unox branded orange hat when diving into the ocean.

Want to dive your way into the new year? The official website will keep you updated on events and locations. Plus: you’re always free to take a dive by yourself of course!

Picture credits: Alexander Fritze

Now you know all about New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands, it’s time to start preparations. Get your oliebollen and appelflappen sorted, set your lucky Oudejaarslot number, and get your swimwear out for the big dive, we’re only a few weeks away!

Interested in finding out more about Dutch traditions and culture? Then check out our blog page. We’ve got you sorted with all you need to know about traditions such as Sinterklaas, annoying stuff like Dutch weather, and various interesting language hacks. You can also follow us on Instagram, or explore the language and culture in private with our private Dutch lessons!

The post Traditions in The Netherlands | New Year’s Eve explained appeared first on Dutch Ready.

Taking notes with the Cornell Method

Casper Zweerus — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:12:43 +0000

Taking notes with the Cornell Method

Want to actually remember all those Dutch phrases and grammar rules you’re trying to learn? The Cornell Note Taking Method may be the solution you’ve been looking for. Developed by Dr. Walter Pauk at Cornell University in the 1950s, he described the system in his best-selling book “How to Study in College”. The Cornell Method has been tested and proven to improve learning and retention of new material.

Proof the Cornell Method works

Numerous studies going as far back as the 90s have shown the effectiveness of the Cornell Method in improving learning performance (Kiewra, 1989). Since then, many studies have replicated these results, showing that students who use the Cornell Method have better recall of information compared to students who use a different note-taking method (Reed et al., 2016).

In language learning, students that use the Cornell Method have better comprehension of both written and spoken text. It also helps students reduce thinking time when answering questions and students are able to give more detailed answers overall (Susanti, 2020).

Photo by David Travis on Unsplash

Why does the Cornell Method work?

The Cornell Method is based on the principle of active learning, which is a learning approach that involves actively engaging with and processing new information rather than simply passively receiving it. Research has shown that active learning approaches can be more effective for learning and retention compared to more traditional, passive approaches.

In addition, the Cornell Method incorporates several other principles of effective learning, such as summarization and review, which have been supported by research. Summarization involves condensing information into a shorter form, such as a summary or outline, which can help students to better understand and retain the material. Reviewing material periodically, as the Cornell Method recommends, can also help students to reinforce their understanding and retention of the material over time.

How to use the Cornell Method

The Cornell Method involves dividing your paper into three sections: a narrow left-hand column, a wider right-hand column, and a small section at the bottom.

After that, simply follow these steps:

During a class or while studying, take notes in the right-hand column of the page. Use abbreviations and symbols to save space and focus on the most important information.
After the class or studying is finished, go back through your notes and create cues for the main points in the left-hand column. These can be questions, keywords or other indicators that link to the main points in your notes.
Write a short summary of your notes. This summary should be written in your own words and should only include the most important information.
Cover the right-hand column with a piece of paper and try to recall as much information as possible by what’s in the left-hand column. This helps you to test your understanding and retention of the material.
Finally, review your notes periodically, such as a few days after the lecture or reading. This will help you to reinforce your understanding and retention of the material over time.

Photo by Sticker Mule on Unsplash

Boosting performance with the "5 Rs"

The Cornell Method also includes a system of “5 Rs” to help you review and reinforce your learning. These include:

Recite: Try to recall the main points of the material without looking at your notes.
Reflect: Think about the material and how it relates to what you already know.
Review: Go over your notes and summaries regularly to reinforce your learning.
Repeat: Continue to review the material periodically to keep it fresh in your memory.
Relate: Think about how you can apply the material to real-world situations or your own work or learning.

Our Cornell Method Template

In conclusion, the Cornell Note Taking Method is a proven and effective strategy for improving learning and retention, whether you’re learning Dutch by yourself or following private Dutch lessons. By dividing your paper into three sections and using the “5 Rs” to review and reinforce your learning, you can improve your academic performance and better retain new material. Give it a try and see the difference it can make in your own learning and productivity. We’ve made a free template available for you to start using. You can access it as a Word document for you to use on your computer or as a print friendly PDF file.

Scientific references in this article

We believe science-backed education is the future. Therefore we will always include links to the scientific research on which we base our methodology. The articles cited in this article are:

Reed, D. K., Rimel, H. & Hallett, A. (2016). Note-Taking Interventions for College Students: A Synthesis and Meta-Analysis of the Literature. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 9(3), 307-333.

Kiewra, K. A. (1989). Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Note-Taking. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81(4), 579-588.

Susanti, L. E. (2020). Cornell Note-Taking: Effective Way to Activate Students’ Autonomous Learning. JOSELT, 1(2), 43-55.

Want to learn Dutch fast? Check out our other blogs about effective language learning, like our article on the importance of sleep, follow us on Instagram for mini lessons, or explore the Dutch language and culture with private Dutch lessons!

The post Taking notes with the Cornell Method appeared first on Dutch Ready.

Dutch dialects

Casper Zweerus — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:12:18 +0000

Dutch dialects

Ever realized that the Dutch people you meet sound nothing like the Dutch you’re learning? It’s a pretty frustrating feeling, specifically when you have spent lots of time taking Dutch lessons. Unfortunately, Dutch dialects are a part of our language, and learning more about them will only help you in your quest of becoming a true Dutchie. We’ll go over a few of the most common Dutch dialects in this article, and we’ll hopefully get you up to speed with the most common “not-so-Dutch” words you are likely to encounter in various parts of the Netherlands.

The most common Dutch dialects

The bad news is that Dutch has hundreds of dialects, with the official number being somewhere between 250 and 400. Research shows that it’s very likely that these dialects have been around for hundreds of years, while “standard” Dutch was introduced only later as an attempt to bring the dialects somewhat together.

As the Netherlands is such a small country, having hundreds of dialects means that you could be hearing tons of unfamiliar words after just a 10-minute drive! Now it’s really unnecessary to learn all the various dialects, specifically as most Dutchies are only familiar with the one they grew up with. But once you know which city or region in the Netherlands you’ll be living in, it will be very useful to know which dialect to expect and how to prepare for it. In this article, we’ll cover 4 of the most common Dutch dialects:

Hollandic: (Hollands) spoken in the provinces North Holland and South Holland, as well as parts of Utrecht.

Low Saxon: (Gronings) spoken in the province of Groningen and parts of Drenthe and Overijssel

Brabantian: (Brabants) spoken in the province of Noord-Brabant

Limburgish: (Limburgs) spoken in the far south, the province of Limburg

Besides having a big variety of dialects, the Netherlands is home to a second native language called Frisian (“Fries”), which is spoken by most of the inhabitants of Friesland. Fries is closely related to both Dutch and English but is generally quite difficult to understand, even for native Dutch speakers. Moving to Friesland? Make sure to sign up for some Frisian language classes!

The Hollandic dialect

We’ll start with addressing the easiest of the dialects: Hollandic. You’ll encounter this variation of Dutch in the western part of the country, and will find it’s quite similar to the standard Dutch you are learning in class. The Hollandic dialect characterizes itself by using hard “g” sounds, and clear pronunciation of words. Although Hollandic is considered to be 1 dialect, it is divided into several urban dialects, mainly spoken in the larger western cities such as Den Haag, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

The Hague dialect

Even though the grammar and sentence structure of the Haags dialect is very similar to standard Dutch, it can be quite a tricky dialect to understand. The difficulty lies mainly in the pronunciation of words, and the sounds that are produced.

An example of a commonly used sound is “âh”, which replaces “auw”, “ouw”, or “er” at the end of a word.

English

I love you

Dutch

Ik hou van jou

Haags

Ik hâh van jâh

English

Delicious

Dutch

Lekker

Haags

Lekkâh

At the same time, the letters “en” at the end of a word, are usually found to be replaced in sound by “uh”

English

To run

Dutch

Rennen

Haags

Rennuh

English

To laugh

Dutch

Lachen

Haags

Lachuh

The Rotterdam dialect

Rotterdams often sounds quite “tough” and a bit rough around the edges. It’s not a very difficult dialect to understand, there are however lots of typical Rotterdams words, expressions and sayings that you most likely won’t be familiar with when arriving in the city for the first time.

English

To eat

Dutch

Eten

Rotterdams

Nassen

English

You’re right

Dutch

Je hebt gelijk

Rotterdams

Ja toch, niet dan?

English

Really?

Dutch

Echt waar?

Rotterdams

Oh ja, joh?

Besides using typical words and expressions, the Rotterdam dialect is known for using “ie” as the personal pronoun of the second person (“hebbie?” instead of “heb je?”) or placing a “t” at the end of various verbs (“ik doet” instead of “ik doe”).

The Amsterdam dialect

No need to worry too much about the Amsterdam dialect. You’ll mainly be confronted with it when speaking to older people, having lived their entire lives in the city. It is a fun dialect to get familiar with though and you’ll hear lots of it around the cities of Almere and Lelystad, where many people from Amsterdam have moved to over the years.

Speaking in typical Amsterdam form means you’ll mainly replace all the “z” sounds with a hard “s”. (son instead of zon). Furthermore, an Amsterdam dialect is laced with its very own vocabulary, with lots of words originating from Jewish:

English

See ya!

Dutch

Doei!

Amsterdams

Mazzel!

English

Dude

Dutch

Gast

Amsterdams

Gozer / Ouwe

English

Joke

Dutch

Grapje

Amsterdams

Gebbetje

The Gronings dialect

The dialect in Groningen comes from the Low Saxon dialect, which is spoken in parts of Groningen, Drenthe and Overijssel. Even though this part of the country knows an enormous variation of sub-dialects, there are a few general observations to make.

The eastern and northern dialects of the Netherlands might sound a bit like mumbling to you, and many words and letters tend to get “swallowed” (like “renn’n” instead of “rennen”). The “ij’ sound is usually replaced with “ie” (“kieken” instead of “kijken”), and the “ie” sound is replaced with “ai” (“nait” instead of “niet”). Are you still following?

A couple of typical Gronings words and expressions to add to your vocabulary:

English

Hi!

Dutch

Hoi!

Gronings

Moi eem!

English

What’s your name?

Dutch

Hoe heet je?

Gronings

Hou haist doe?

English

Kiss

Dutch

Kus

Gronings

Smok

The Brabantian dialect

The first very obvious observation to make when listening to “Brabanders” speak, is that they tend to talk with a soft “g”. This makes Dutch sound less harsh and gives a French ring to it. Furthermore, you’ll find that the “t” is usually left out as the final letter of a word (“wa is da?” instead of “wat is dat?”).

Lastly, in Brabant, the word “kei” is used to express how great/hard/stupid/fantastic something is. How to use it? Easy, just stick it to any word you want to:

Gezellig = keigezellig / Zwaar = keizwaar / Moe = keimoe

In general, Brabants is known to sound “funny” and “cute” to northerners and is often compared to Belgian Dutch. A few commonly used Brabantian words and expressions are:

English

You’re kidding!

Dutch

Dat meen je niet!

Brabants

Wa zedde nou!

English

Bye!

Dutch

Doei!

Brabants

Houdoe!

English

Almost

Dutch

Bijna

Brabants

Bekant

The Limburgish dialect

As with the Brabantian dialect, words in Limburgish are pronounced with a soft “g”. Where Brabantian is still quite easy to understand though, Limburgish is considered to be a whole different language by some linguists. The vocabulary, which is a mix of Dutch, French and German, can differ a lot from standard Dutch and is therefore pretty difficult to understand. Furthermore, the intonation of Limburgish is different (it sounds more like singing than talking), and words are generally elongated.

The province of Limburg knows tons of sub-dialects, which vary from village to village and make it hard to describe “typical Limburgs”. There are however a couple of very specific words and expressions used in most parts of Limburg:

English

Excuse me?

Dutch

Sorry?

Limburgs

Wablief?

English

Goodbye / See you later!

Dutch

Tot ziens!

Limburgs

Hoije, haije, adieë (wa)

English

What happened?

Dutch

Wat is er gebeurd?

Limburgs

Enne?

Moving to Limburg soon? Don’t worry, Limburgians understand Dutch perfectly well and are likely to reply in proper Dutch once they find out you’re not familiar with their dialect. A short Limburgian crash course could come in handy for the long term though.

Dutch dialects

Even though there are hundreds of Dutch dialects out there, and some of their vocabulary and pronunciation might throw you off at times, with standard Dutch you’ll always be able to get around in the Netherlands. Besides the fact that all Dutchies will understand you, all news and government broadcasts will be done in standard Dutch as well.

Dutch pronunciation

Standard Dutch pronunciation is used and understood throughout the country. So if you want to work on your Dutch communication skills, working on your pronunciation is a smart step. You can do so with the help of our free Sound Comparison Cards, or -if you really want to roll up your sleeves- with our Pronunciation and Spelling Module, complete with step-by-step guides on pronunciation and mouth shapes. Want to know more about pronunciation? Then read our blog article on Dutch pronunciation, complete with practical tips and links to (free to download) tools that will give you a kick start.

Update: As of now, Dutch Ready also offers a complete e-learning method. To date, the method is available at two levels: e-learning A0-A1 and e-learning A1-A2. Our method is in complete accordance with the official CEFR guidelines and combines the required grammar and related exercises with practical lessons in which you apply all you have learned, so that you are optimally prepared for speaking Dutch in daily life.

Getting started with Dutch lessons

Ready to get started on Dutch? A quick way to learn standard Dutch is by taking part in our private Dutch lessons, where we help you master the language in only a matter of months using our unique teaching method. From there on, you can focus on learning some fun words and phrases in dialect, learn more about traditions and Dutch culture, and become a true Dutchie in no time. Sign up for a test lesson below!

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Traditions in The Netherlands | Sinterklaas explained

Casper Zweerus — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:11:54 +0000

Traditions in the Netherlands | Sinterklaas explained

As an expat in the Netherlands, you will quickly hear about the tradition of Sinterklaas. Something with an old guy handing out gifts? Putting your shoe out? Pepernoten? It can get confusing as Sinterklaas is celebrated not only on 1 particular day in December, but also spreads out over a couple of weeks in November. We’ll explain the meaning, history and practical insights of Sinterklaas that you’ll need to be aware of when integrating into this particular cultural festivity. Sinterklaas only a kid’s party? Think again!

Who or what is Sinterklaas?

Sinterklaas is based on a legendary figure called St. Nicholas, the bishop of Myra (Turkey) and patron saint of children. After his death in 343 a.d., stories about his good deeds quickly spread around Europe and were transformed into a holiday (the sinterklaasfeest) during the Middle Ages. This originated with helping the poor by putting money in their shoes, and later evolved to putting presents in children’s shoes. The Dutch have moved the original celebration date from the 6th of December (the name day of St. Nicholas) to the evening of December 5th, when Sinterklaasavond (also known as “pakjesavond” or “het heerlijk avondje”) is celebrated.

You will recognize Sinterklaas as being a dressed up, stately man with a long white beard, red mitre and a red cape over a bishop’s alb. He traditionally rides a white horse, holds a long ceremonial shepherd’s staff, carries a big book with children’s names and is accompanied by many helpers called Piet. These “Pieten” assist Sinterklaas with handing out sweets to children and racing down chimneys to fill their shoes with presents.

Traditionally Sinterklaas and Piet were said to be keeping track of “naughty children”, spanking them with a chimney sweep’s broom and placing them in a bag to take back to Spain. Over the years this tradition has (luckily) faded out, and kids in the Netherlands can be joyful about the arrival of Piet and Sinterklaas instead of having to fear spankings or abductions.

Picture: Sinterklaas.nl

The arrival of Sinterklaas to the Netherlands

While St. Nicholas was a Turkish bishop, the current Sinterklaas is said to come from Spain. He arrives in a designated town in the Netherlands by steamboat every year, on the first Saturday after November 11th. Sinterklaas, riding his horse and accompanied by his Pieten, is officially welcomed by the town’s mayor. The arrival is broadcast on national television, and children from all over the country line up to welcome the saint and his helpers while singing songs and cheering him on. After he enters the country, Sinterklaas will spend the upcoming weeks visiting schools, shopping malls, and children’s houses.

Three weeks of presents from Sinterklaas

From his arrival to the country until the actual Sinterklaas-eve on the 5th of December, children in the Netherlands are entertained with stories, visits, Sinterklaas news broadcasts on tv, and presents from the saint. Besides their stops at schools and malls, Sinterklaas and his Pieten are said to ride the rooftops at night, sliding down chimneys and delivering gifts to well-behaved children. Gifts that will have to be earned by quite the nightly ceremony:

Before going to bed, Dutch kids are told to fill up one of their shoes with a present for Sinterklaas and his horse (e.g. a drawing, a bowl of water and a carrot), and place it by the fireplace (or whichever place works for households without a fireplace). This will have to be accompanied by a Sinterklaas song, sung so loud and clear that Sinterklaas will be able to hear it up on the roof.

An example of a traditional Sinterklaas song:

Sinterklaas Kapoentje,

Gooi wat in m’n schoentje,

Gooi wat in m’n laarsje,

Dank u, Sinterklaasje

Sinterklaas Capon,

Throw something in my little shoe,

Throw something in my little boot,

Thank you, Sinterklaas(je)

The following day, all excited and eager, kids wake up to a shoe filled with a small present or treat. Typical Sinterklaas treats are pepernoten & kruidnoten (small round gingerbread cookies), chocolate letters, speculaas and marzipan candy.

Sinterklaas Eve in the Netherlands

When the 5th of December finally arrives, kids (and adults) can hardly contain their excitement any longer. As Sinterklaas Eve is literally called “present evening” (pakjesavond), this night is about one thing and one thing only: receiving gifts!

In a household with children up until 7 or 8 years old, Sinterklaas Eve is traditionally celebrated with lots of Sinterklaas songs, pepernoten and a big burlap sack filled with presents and poems. These are believed to be delivered by Sinterklaas and Piet themselves (who have usually run away so quick that you’ll never be able to spot them).

But Sinterklaas Eve is not only fun for kids. Once the truth has come out and children are notified it was all a lie, the celebration of Sinterklaas Eve often lives on between families and friends in a different form. The fun typically starts weeks in advance, when names are drawn and every person is to create a handmade creative work of art for the person they picked (so-called “surprise”, pronounced as “surpreesah”). The surprise is filled with an actual present inside and is accompanied by a handwritten “funny” poem, for each person to unwrap and read aloud. So yes, some creativity (and time) is needed for Sinterklaas Eve to succeed, but with fun and excitement guaranteed.

And then the 6th of December comes around….some will say they’re sad it’s all over, others will be relieved that the days of eating pepernoten and fabricating semi-hilarious poems have passed. Time to start preparing for Christmas, Easter and Kingsday. Before doing it all over again next year…

Sinterklaas or Santa Clause?

Did you know that Santa Clause is actually based on Sinterklaas? And that many of the Christmas traditions come from the celebration of Sinterklaas? Take reindeer on the roof for example (Sinterklaas and his horse), Santa’s little helpers (Sinterklaas’ Pieten), gifts in your sock by the chimney (gifts in your shoe) and gifting Santa with milk and cookies (water and a treat for Sinterklaas’ horse).

Want to know more about Dutch culture and its weirdness? Check out our other blogs about traditions such as New Year’s Eve, follow us on Instagram, or explore the language and culture with private Dutch lessons!

The post Traditions in The Netherlands | Sinterklaas explained appeared first on Dutch Ready.

Is Dutch similar to English?

Casper Zweerus — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:11:35 +0000

Is Dutch similar to English?

Dutch usually comes across as a difficult language to learn. All those harsh “g”-sounds, unusual letter combinations and hundreds of strange sayings might not make it very appealing to take on. It will surprise you to know that Dutch is quite similar to English though, mainly in terms of grammar and vocabulary. We’ll dive into the language family that Dutch belongs to and will show you various examples of Dutch similarities to English. After which of course, we hope to have convinced you of learning our beautiful language yourself! Or at least made it a little easier.

A short history of the Dutch language

Dutch is part of the Indo-European Language Family and is considered to be a West Germanic language, together with English, German, Afrikaans, Yiddish, Luxembourgish, Frisian (yes, that other language they speak in The Netherlands), and Scottish. At the same time, West Germanic has strong similarities to North Germanic which includes languages such as Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.

The earliest Dutch dates back to the 6th century and modern Dutch is currently spoken by approximately 23 million people in the world. The word “Dutch” comes from the word “Deutsch” in modern German, and up until the 16th century, “Dutch” was used to refer to any Germanic language (which is why German speakers in Southeastern Pennsylvania are still called the Pennsylvania Dutch). The Dutch refer to their own language as “Nederlands”, with the standard language being split into hundreds of various dialects.

Of all West Germanic languages, English, Dutch (and Frisian) are considered to be most similar. Both languages have abandoned the grammatical case system which German still uses, tenses and verb conjugations follow some of the same patterns, and vocabulary knows tons of similarities, which is exactly what we will focus on in this article.

Dutch similarities to English - Cognates & Loanwords

It might not always sound like the vocabulary between English and Dutch is the same, but once you start to learn Dutch you’ll notice that there are tons of similarities to be found. We will make a distinction between cognates (words that have a shared origin and are therefore very similar), and loan words (Dutch words permanently adopted from English).

Dutch cognates

By focusing on those Dutch words that are similar to English, you’ll find it gets much easier to expand your vocabulary. And mind you, there are a lot of those. We’ve listed a few examples of Dutch – English cognates:

English

The beard

Dutch

De baard

English

The hair

Dutch

Het haar

English

The price

Dutch

De prijs

English

The island

Dutch

Het eiland

English

The shoulder

Dutch

De schouder

English

The snow

Dutch

De sneeuw

Dutch loan words

Besides words that look similar, many Dutch words are taken straight from English and are therefore exactly the same. Be mindful however: the Dutch may still pronounce words a little differently, even when they are spelled the same. A couple of Dutch loan words are:

English

The details

Dutch

De details

English

The model

Dutch

Het model

English

The journalist

Dutch

De journalist

English

The code

Dutch

De code

English

The laser

Dutch

De laser

English

The student

Dutch

De student

You’ll find that many of the “newer” words are taken directly from English. Think of “computer” for example, or “wifi” and “hashtag”. A tiny bit lazy yes, but at the same time very easy when learning the language. All of it is Dutch that you secretly know already.

Want to start practicing? We have compiled an Easy Vocab tool Dutch-English for you, which you can download for free from our website. The list contains more than 3000 words, conveniently organized into categories. In the tool you will also find an overview of suffix and prefix rules and in addition, all verbs from the list are conjugated in three different tenses. With Dutch Ready’s Easy Vocab, you have everything you need to kickstart your Dutch vocabulary.

Dutch pronunciation

As with vocabulary, many people also think that the pronunciation of Dutch is very different from English. But even here, you will be surprised how many similarities exist. Even the notorious Dutch g/ch sound can be found in several English words, such as ‘Loch Ness’. Of course, this doesn’t mean that Dutch pronunciation is a piece of cake. To get you off to a good start, we have developed sound comparison cards in 15 different languages. You can download them completely for free from our website. Do you want to polish your pronunciation to the max? In our Pronunciation & Spelling Module you’ll find detailed instructions from a speech therapist as well as practical exercises on each sound. Roll up your sleeves and get started!

Dutch similarities to other languages

Apart from the obvious similarities between Dutch and English words, Dutch also adopted plenty of words from other countries. Take French for example; even though this language is not part of the West Germanic family, there are plenty of similarities to be found due to the Dutch and French shared history. Such as:

French

L’accessoire

Dutch

De accessoire

French

La lingerie

Dutch

De lingerie

French

Le parapluie

Dutch

De paraplu

And then there is German of course:

German

Sowieso

Dutch

Sowieso

German

Überhaupt

Dutch

Überhaupt

German

Der Käse

Dutch

De kaas

The fact that the Dutch have always been internationally focussed, definitely helps with learning the language. As a Danish, Swedish and even Spanish or Italian native, you will always find plenty of similarities in vocabulary between your own language and that of the Dutch.

False Friends

The fact that Dutch has lots of loanwords coming from English among others, will make your life a bit easier when studying the language. Be aware though: some words that seem the same, really aren’t! We call these types of words “false friends”, meaning that some of them might sound equal in two languages, but mean a completely different thing.

To show you some examples of what we mean, we’ve gathered a couple of false friends between Dutch and English:

Magazine (EN) > Magazijn (NL). Magazijn means warehouse
Rare (EN) > Raar (NL). Raar means weird
Meaning (EN) > Mening (NL). Mening means opinion
Brave (EN) > Braaf (NL). Braaf means obedient
Dapper (EN) > Dapper (NL). Dapper means brave
File (EN) > File (NL). File means traffic jam
Glad (EN) > Glad (NL). Glad means slippery
Trap (EN) > Trap (NL). Trap means stairs
Slim (EN) > Slim (NL). Slim means smart
Small (EN) > Smal (NL). Smal means narrow

So there you go, while there still are various differences to find between English and Dutch, it’s very easy to build a large vocabulary in Dutch by using what you already know from other languages.

At Dutch Ready, we tend to focus on these similarities to make things easier. Not just for vocabulary, but for grammar, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and the rest too. Combine this with private Dutch lessons, and you’ll be speaking Dutch in just a matter of months.

Ready to get started? Buy a Dutch test lesson and and set your first steps with the tutor we carefully matched with you!

The post Is Dutch similar to English? appeared first on Dutch Ready.

Rain in the Netherlands

Casper Zweerus — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:11:07 +0000

Rain in the Netherlands

Why we can’t stop talking about it

Small talk is an essential part of any language, and important to master when looking to connect with locals in your new home country. These types of talks can be about anything; from simply asking someone about their weekend to chatting about work and daily life. But if you are an expat in The Netherlands and are looking to fully integrate and strike up a conversation with literally any Dutchie, there is one topic you’ll never want to skip: Dutch weather. And even more specifically: rain in the Netherlands.

Rain in the Netherlands - facts & figures

You must have noticed, either from experience or by hearing the Dutch complain, that it rains a lot in the Netherlands. But does it though? According to the Dutch Weather Station, the average rainfall in 2020 was 860mm. Compare this to the wettest place on earth (Mawsynram in India) with over 10,000mm a year, and you start wondering: how can it be that we feel like it’s always raining here?

Well, it does seem to be raining quite a lot, just not that much in one go. As various places in the world deal with tropical storms and hurricanes, in the Netherlands we mainly suffer from scattered and smaller rain showers throughout the day. On average the Netherlands deals with 100 minutes of rain per day and 130 days of rain per year, with October being the wettest month (13 days) and April the driest (9 days). That’s quite a lot of rainy days to be fair.

Dutch weather can be very unpredictable, which is another reason why it seems to be raining more than it actually does. From sunrise to sunset it’s possible to experience hail, sunshine, thunderstorms, rain showers and snow, while all we were dressed for was a breezy summer day. We forget about those 40 minutes of sunshine and focus on the lousy hour that we spent on the bike, soaking wet and facing the wind headfirst.

Talking about rain

Having to deal with rain often, makes us Dutchies want to talk about it a lot too. As an expat in the Netherlands, the weather is therefore a great conversation starter in basically any group of Dutchies.

To fully explain the type of rain you are currently dealing with or have dealt with on your way over, you can make use of an extensive rain-vocabulary. We will go over some of the most used words:

Motregen

drizzly kind of rain

Miezer

drizzly rain almost invisible to the naked eye

Druilerig

sad grey weather with “motregen”or “miezer

Spatjes

spatters

Buitje

Small rain shower

Stromende regen

Pouring rain

Striemende regen

rain in combination with strong winds

Stortbui

heavy shower

Gietregen

another word for heavy shower

Plensregen

one more word for heavy shower

Wolkbreuk

extreme amounts of rain in a short time

Noodweer

extreme rain and wind

We Dutchies also love to invent creative sayings when it comes to rain such as:

“Het regent pijpenstelen!”

It´s raining pipe steals! (It’s raining cats and dogs)

“De regen komt met bakken uit de lucht vallen”

The rain comes pouring down from the sky

Besides just aiming at the rain, the Dutch also love to complain about the weather as a whole. Any of the following words are appropriate when wanting to express how much the weather is bumming you out:

Hondenweer

Baggerweer

Zeikweer

Beestenweer

Rotweer

Pisweer

Rukweer

Poepweer

Takkeweer

Flutweer

Pestweer

Schijtweer

How to deal with rain in The Netherlands

Now that you know how to talk about the rain, it’s time to figure out how to actually deal with it. Because let’s face it: you won’t be able to escape bad weather when living in the Netherlands.

The one thing you want to do when arriving in the Netherlands is making sure to download the apps “Buienradar” and “Buienalarm”. These resources will turn out to be your lifesavers and tell you exactly where, when, how much and how long it will rain. Perfect for trying to travel in between two “buitjes” while still getting to work on time.

Source: Buienradar.nl

To avoid overall wetness on the bike we advise you to purchase a jacket with a hoodie or, even better, a rain suit. Placing a plastic bag on top of your saddle keeps the butt dry, and a saddlebag will keep your laptop and work documents secured from “zeikregen”.

When all of this has failed to keep you dry, what is left to do is deal with the wetness and complain about the rain. The above list of common rain-words will get you started, while further expanding your weather vocabulary can be done by using our free vocabulary lists in the app Quizlet.

Want to talk about more than just the weather? Then consider taking up Dutch classes online or face-to-face with one of our private Dutch tutors. Besides talking about rain, your Dutch as a whole will increase rapidly, while learning more about our culture and habits at the same time. And great news: no cycling in the rain for Dutch class, your teacher will come and visit you in the comfort of your own home!

Book your private test lesson and become a true Dutchie in no time!

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