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Mastering Dutch: the 1000 Most Common Words

Learning Dutch can be a daunting task, but focusing on the most common words can make the process much more manageable and effective. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of learning the 1000 most common words and how it can accelerate your language learning journey.

Why Focus on the 1000 Most Common Dutch Words?

  1. Efficiency in Learning: By concentrating on the most frequently used words, you can quickly understand and participate in everyday conversations. These words form the backbone of the language, appearing in a significant portion of spoken and written Dutch.
  2. Building Confidence: Mastering these common words boosts your confidence as you start recognizing and using them in real-life situations. This early success can motivate you to continue learning and expanding your vocabulary.
  3. Improved Comprehension: Understanding the most common words helps you grasp the context of conversations and texts more easily. This comprehension is crucial for effective communication and further language acquisition.
  4. Foundation for Advanced Learning: Once you have a strong grasp of these essential words, learning more complex vocabulary and grammar becomes less intimidating. You’ll have a solid foundation to build upon, making advanced learning smoother and more enjoyable.

Here’s a video of the 1000:

Here’s a list of the 100 most common ones, with a sample sentence:

These words are just the beginning. By learning them, you’ll be able to form basic sentences and understand a large portion of everyday Dutch conversations.

Take Your Dutch to the Next Level

Ready to dive deeper into Dutch? Yes, learning those 100 – or 1000 – by heart won’t get you that far. But my Dutch courses on Udemy are designed to help you master the 1000 most common words in context. With three comprehensive courses, you’ll cover essential vocabulary, practical phrases, and key grammar points, all tailored to help you understand, speak, and write Dutch with confidence.

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Dutch prepositions with er, hier, daar and waar

Do the words daaraan, hiervan, erover, waarop seem incomprehensible? Hard to figure them out, right? There’s good news: you’ll unlock the secrets to these words in the video below. Do the exercises below the video:

‘With it’ or ‘about it’ isn’t simple in Dutch. It changes the ‘it’ – or ‘het’ in Dutch into ‘er,’ and puts it in front of the about. So that’s ‘erover’ instead of ‘over het’ – which is wrong. Dat becomes daar, and dit becomes hier.

Exercises:
– We talk about it. (spreken over)
– He watches that. (kijken naar)
– You listen to this. (luisteren naar)
– I think of it. (denken aan)
– They love that. (houden van)

Solutions: We spreken erover, hij kijkt ernaar, jij luistert hiernaar, ik denk eraan, ze houden daarvan.

These words split up if you put additional words tot this sentence. Second verbs stay at the end.

Exercises:
– We don’t talk about it. (spreken over, niet)
– He watches that for a long time. (kijken naar, lang)
– You listen in the car to this. (luisteren naar, in de auto)
– I don’t think of it. (denken aan, niet)
– They always love that. (houden van, altijd)

Solutions: We spreken er niet over, hij kijkt er lang naar, jij luistert hier in de auto naar, ik denk er nietaan, ze houden daar altijd van.

Met becomes mee. Exercises:
– I work with it. (werken met)
– He starts with that (beginnen met)

Solutions: Ik werk ermee, hij begint daarmee.

Questions use the same principle with waar: waarvan hou je or waar hou je van? (What do you love?)

Exercises:
What is he talking about? (spreken over)
What is he watching? (kijken naar)
What do they love? (houden van)

Solutions: waarover spreekt hij? Waarnaar kijkt hij? Waarvan houden ze?

If there’s a verb with a preposition in the sub-clause, use waar too: Dat is de muziek waarnaar ik luister. (That’s the music I’m listening to)

Exercises:
– That’s the car I’m talking about.
– It’s the song she loves.

Solutions: Dat is de auto waarover ik spreek, het is het liedje waarvan ze houdt.

More exercises and longer and more precise explanations in my grammar book for intermediate Dutch students. Or contact me to book a lesson and learn anything about Dutch.

Dutch grammar for intermediate students
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Intermediate Dutch Grammar: improve your Dutch

Are you ready to take your Dutch language skills to the next level? Look no further than “Intermediate Dutch Grammar: With Exercises.” Whether you’re an aspiring polyglot, a student, or someone planning to explore the Netherlands, this comprehensive guide is your passport to mastering Dutch grammar.

What’s Inside?

🌟 1. Pronouns Unveiled:

  • Dive deep into personal and possessive pronouns. Learn how to wield them with confidence in everyday conversations.

🌟 2. Verb Tenses Explored:

  • From past perfect to future conditional, explore the nuances of Dutch verb tenses. Master modal verbs and reflexive verbs along the way.

🌟 3. Conjunctions and Word Order:

  • Discover the art of seamless sentence construction. Get insights into conjunctions and the proper word order for clear communication.

🌟 4. Adjectives and Nouns Demystified:

  • Tackle common confusions head-on. Understand adjective-noun agreements and gender-specific forms.

🌟 5. Reinforce Your Learning:

  • Put theory into practice with exercises designed to solidify your understanding. Test your knowledge and build fluency.

 Grab your copy of “Intermediate Dutch Grammar: With Exercises” and unlock the secrets of this beautiful language. Whether you’re sipping coffee in Amsterdam or exploring windmills in the countryside, Dutch fluency awaits!

Remember, every conjugation, every sentence, and every exercise brings you closer to mastery. Happy learning!

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Where to find short Dutch texts

As soon as you’ve learned a couple of Dutch words, a student feels ready to start reading simple, short texts. So what are your options?

The first option should be your textbook. Many handbooks contain short texts just at your level. Often overlooked, but useful and with exercises. Also check if there is a workbook that comes along.

Wablieft is a website dedicated to simple Dutch. There is a section with newspapers, called kranten. Some of the articles are for free but you can also get a subscription with a newspaper in paper. Additionally, there’s a list of books according to their level.

Often recommended by teachers is Nedbox. It’s a regularly updated website with texts and videos from the Belgian news. Exercises are added, which can be adapted to your level.

Lingua.com published over 30 texts and listening exercises, plus some premium ones. The texts are on different levels.

Reading the media is only recommended to intermediate students. You may find newspapers at the local library, where you’ll also find books for young adults. These are typically easier to read.

Last but not least: I wrote a book with simple texts for A2 level, as well as one for A2-B1 level. The difficult words are marked in bold, so you’ll learn plenty of new words.

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Best Dutch dictionaries

Looking for the best Dutch dictionary? Search no more, here’s an overview to pick your online Dutch dictionary. The first three translate from Dutch to English and English to Dutch.

  1. Google Translate
    Yes, it isn’t always accurate. Yes, expressions are sometimes translated literally. But it has the most languages. It can translate texts pretty well. It reads words out loud. It gives alternatives. And if you type in an URL, it translates the whole website. Did I say it’s fast? No wonder Google Translate is the first translator I open during lessons.
  2. Deepl
    Translates a little better than Google Translate, but has fewer features. Can also translate documents.
  3. Reverso Context
    My favourite for expressions, conjugations and other idioms or words usually used together. This website compares many documents and matches English and Dutch translations. Very handy for words and expressions having multiple meanings. Only disadvantage: a bit slow.
  4. Van Dale
    This is THE dictionary for Dutch-speaking people. It does feature English to Dutch and vice-versa translations, but it’s the reference book. I use it to check if words exist in Dutch, and for sample sentences and the different meanings of words.
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Dutch for business: start speaking Dutch at work

Do you need to start speaking Dutch at work? Good news: with my course, you’ll learn over 250 phrases you can use now as soon as you go back to work.

Using dialogues and many practical examples, you’ll learn what to say during presentations, meetings and other situations at work.

The level of the course is around B1, so make sure you already know 1000 words before starting. The course is completely in Dutch.

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Learn your language – with your budget

Learning languages costs money, right? Not always, but it definitely helps. Let’s take a look at what your options are – according to the amount of money you can spend.

For free
What can you do for free? Many apps are for free, such as Duolingo. Using Google Translate to learn all the basic phrases can be an option too. Ask your friends, colleagues and family to teach you a little every day. Also ask if you can borrow their language learning books. Talking to people on the street is also for free.

0-200 € per year
Evening classes by the government are relatively cheap. Many apps have paid options, which are better than the free ones. There are plenty of second hand books of high quality to find on sites like Amazon or in your local second-hand bookshop. Looking for an online teacher? Some might have lower rates on Italki.

200-1000 € per year
Group classes in smaller groups are more efficient, so check out if there’s a language school in your neighbourhood. Private tutors might also help, online or offline. A good, high-quality book might be offered by the language school. But you can always buy one for yourself.

1000+ € per year
The fastest and most expensive way? Individual language classes. If you own a company, don’t forget to put them in your costs and check if there is public funding.

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Learn Dutch with stories: book at A2-B1 level

Want to learn over 1000 words and expressions with a book? You’re in luck, I’ve just published this new book for students at A2-B1 level. The stories are about foreigners getting to know Dutch and Belgian culture. So you’ll not only learn Dutch, but also learn about the Netherlands and Belgium.

All difficult words are translated into English, the literal translation of the expressions are also given as well as the articles and plurals of nouns. Verbs’ past tenses are also given.

The book is available as an ebook as well as paperback. Enjoy!

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Dutch grammar for beginners: new book

Pleased to announce my latest book: Dutch grammar for beginners. Most English speaking beginners have the same questions about Dutch. That’s why I wrote this brand new book, which serves both as an exercise book as well as a reference book.

Included are all the different pronouns, the tenses beginners need to learn, many prepositions, and more. A link to the appropriate videos on my YouTube channel is added.

Enjoy!