spreek je nederlands ? (do you speak dutch?)

a blog by Chiamaka 🎀 (Universiteit van Amsterdam in the Netherlands)

In this blog, I will hopefully clear up your language concerns. You don’t need to speak Dutch. That’s the simple answer. I only know a little.

Since every internet source I consulted said that everyone speaks English, I assumed that everything (street signs, ingredients etc) would have small print in English too. Imagine my surprise on my first trip to Lidl when NOTHING was in English. Obviously this makes sense – it’s a foreign country duh – but hopefully I’ll save you some shock. Some ingredient lists have it in French too (Belgian influence), which was my saving grace but if you don’t speak Dutch, German or French get ready to be typing every word into your translator app. Make sure to learn the Dutch words for your allergens if applicable. In most restaurants, English is the default by the way.

Not everybody in the Netherlands speaks English. Most people under 60 do, but most people are not fluent. You might notice some people have trouble expressing themselves in English. Remember that you are the one who doesn’t know their language so have grace. Also, people tend to assume your Dutch and speak at you really fast. Don’t be scared ! Just get the perfect moment to say ‘sorry i only speak English’.

I intended to get lessons before seeing the 400 euros price tag for like 5 lessons :/. (Apparently Dutch is one of the most expensive languages to learn). If you can afford them I would recommend because it makes life much smoother and opens the door to making Dutch friends. Also, if you are in ‘Dutch’ spaces, people tend to just talk amongst themselves and not include you if you only speak English. They aren’t rude about it but it is very common.

The good news is that Dutch is sooo easy to pick up, even without lessons. I have a background of learning languages (I did German GCSE and French A level) which definitely helped, but if you are an active listener and good at noticing patterns I’m sure you can learn some new words, or even whole sentences. Dutch is like a blend between German and English, with some French sprinkled in and MANY random words that I can’t find the etymology of. Most of the words are basically the same. You can see some examples in the dictionary I have written below. If you’re familiar with the European Language Framework I would say I have B1 listening capabilities, and A1 or A2 speaking by now. I can greet, order my food (including saying ‘but without…’) and talk to shop workers. So if I can do it, you can learn too !

In conclusion, you do not need to speak Dutch. I actually know some people who have lived in the country since they were like 13 and they never learned. But, it is useful and I would recommend.

Dictionary

sounds (Dutch – English pronunciation – example of english pronunciation) – these are only approximations – some change depending on the word
ee – ay – hAY
oe – oo – pOOl (kind of)
oo – oa – gOAl
ij – eye
ei – eye
ie – ee – bEE
j – y – Yoghurt
w – v – Van (most of the time – V is more of a hard F)
g – just watch a youtube tutorial tbh T-T

potentially useful words (English – Dutch)
sorry – sorry ! (pronounced differently)
have a good day – fijne dag
have a good evening – fijne avond
hello – hallo, goedendag
good morning – goedemorgen
thank you – dankjewel
you’re welcome / please – alsjublieft
please can i have… (ordering something in a restaurant) – mag ik… alsjublieft
how are you ? – hoe gaat het (met je)
to pay – betalen