Posts

Posted on

Free Dutch course online

Interested in learning the Dutch language? Here’s your way to do it for free.

In over 40 lectures, you’ll learn the basic grammar and over 300 Dutch words!

Start with the introduction to the course so you can start learning Dutch in 7 different sections:

  • Section 1: how to introduce yourself
  • Section 2: how to talk about jobs, countries and names
  • Section 3: the Dutch verbs
  • Section 4: the possessive, the family and the negative
  • Section 5: how to ask questions, how to use diminutive and when to write capitals
  • Section 6: the numbers and pronouns
  • Section 7: extra resources

    Get my book!

Enjoy the course and let me know what you liked and liked less!

Here’s the full description of the course:

Learn Dutch – this is the place to start learning Flemish online!

This is your opportunity! In this course, we start from zero. Indeed, zero. No previous knowledge needed. No expensive study books. We build on our way to learn Dutch, step by step. Learn at your own pace to translate Dutch, you can review the videos and redo the exercises any time, as much as you want! Learn Dutch online!
What can you expect?
Learning Dutch is difficult. Yes. So no unnecessary, 10-minute long Dutch grammar lessons with all the rules. Only what you need to know. Tips where you can find more Dutch language. Over 300 Dutch words to use in your everyday life. An interactive quiz at the end of each section, also about the Dutch vocabulary. Culture to understand Dutch better.
For who is this course?
You don’t understand Dutch, or barely. And you want to know how to speak Dutch. And it’s taught for you. Ready to start?
The level is Dutch A1 to Dutch A2.

Posted on

Busy in Dutch: druk or bezig

Learn the Dutch language from Belgium, also called Flemish

During one of my online Dutch lessons, a student said this:

  • Het was een bezige week (= it was a busy week).

It’s a literal translation from English into Dutch. Due to the close relationship between the two languages, it’s a good tactic. However, in this case, it isn’t.

So I corrected my student:

  • Het was een drukke week.

But I couldn’t tell why. Yes, language teachers do not know everything. So I did some research and found interesting forum conversations on an amazing website. And here’s how it is:

Bezige bij or drukke bij?

Bezig is used for living things doing an activity. The result is that the living thing can’t do something else:

  • Jan, kan je me helpen? (= Jan, can you help me?)
  • Nee, ik ben bezig. (= No, I’m busy.)

So a week can’t be ‘bezig’. Because it’s not a living thing. Also, it’s not doing an activity. And that is why it’s a drukke week. Let’s do some exercises:

Fill in: druk/bezig (solution below)

  • Ben je met de afwas … ?
  • Het plein is … .
  • Jan is altijd zo’n … mens.
  • Op het werk is het altijd … .
  • Hij is … . Dus vraag het aan Sara.

(afwas = dishes, zo’n = such a)

Mind as well that you can use ‘druk bezig‘ as in very busy. Again, this is only for living things doing an activity.

Druk can also mean pressure. For example luchtdruk (= air pressure) and in stressful situations. And ‘bezet‘ means occupied. As in what you have to reply when you’re in the bathroom.

Fun fact: a busy bee is an expression also used in Dutch: een bezige bij. It’s a living thing and doing an activity.

Solutions:

Bezig – druk – drukke – druk – bezig.

 

Posted on

To be in Maltese

Learn the Maltese language to express yourself in Malta's official language

Is the verb to be making you lose all your hair? Yes, indeed. Maltese isn’t easy. It’s always a good idea to start learning a language by learning the verb to be. So how is it exactly in Maltese?

To be or the pronouns?

Here’s the list:

  • jien/jiena = I am
  • int/inti = you are
  • hu/huwa = he is
  • hi/hija = she is
  • aħna = we are
  • intom = you are
  • huma = they are

Actually, these are the pronouns: I, you, he, etc… So you have to think the verb to be with it. If there is another verb in the sentence, the pronoun is probably added to that verb.

  • Huma jaħdmu f’dari = They work in my house.

This is to stress the fact that ‘they’ are working. Not someone else. So the pronoun is only used to stress who is performing the action in the sentence. If it’s not important to stress it, Maltese say:

  • Jaħdmu f’dari

So if there is no other verb in the sentence, it’s to be.

Which one to choose?

Now: one more question. Is it jien or jiena? Int or inti? Well, the short version is used to stress the difference between the person as an opposition to someone else.

  • Min jaħdem? = Who works?
  • Jien! = I am (but the others aren’t)

Learn more conjugations in my book:

Posted on

Niet or geen? Differences between Dutch not’s and no’s

As you’re learning your first Dutch words, you’ll come across an important topic: to say a sentence in the negative. For example: I don’t live in Germany:

  • Ik woon niet in Duitsland.

So, not is niet, right? Yes. And no. Because as you’re translating the next sentence: ‘I am not a German’, you won’t see a niet in:

  • Ik ben geen Duitser.

But you do see a geen appearing. So when do you use geen, and when niet? Well, it’s simple: if you can replace the not in English by a no, it’s geen. In the other cases, it’s niet. Let’s see our two examples:

  • I don’t live in Germany. I do no live in Germany = wrong, so it’s… Ik woon niet in Duitsland.
  • I am not a German. I am no German = right, so it’s… Ik ben geen Duitser.

That’s it. Also mind that a simple ‘no’ as in not a yes is translated as nee or neen.

Check out more Dutch here!

Posted on

Learn languages with movies – fun!

Have you ever learnt languages by watching movies? It’s a great tool to learn new words and new expressions in the language you’re learning. However, there are some do’s and don’ts.

First of all, the genre of the film should be suited to your language level. Action movies and animated movies are best for beginners, because those use simple words and sentences. Especially if they’re movies for kids. More advanced students are better served with the many puns and expressions of comedies.

Second, prepare well by printing the script. Check which words are used most, and learn those you don’t know yet. You can find the most-used words also by using Wordle or WordCounter.

Third, never watch dubbed movies. This may be obvious, but what’s the point of watching a movie if not even the language is the language you’re learning?

Fourth, avoid watching with subtitles in your language. You’ll be more concentrated on reading your own language instead of learning new words.

Fifth, put subtitles in the language you’re learning. These are mostly used by deaf persons, but you can enjoy them too.

Sixth, find movies in the language you’re learning on IMDb. Go for the search option and select the language you’re learning under the option ‘languages’.

More tips in my book.