Why bother learning Dutch?

03 Feb 2010

Nearly everyone speaks English in the big cities
in the Netherlands. Furthermore Dutch is quite
difficult, with strange sounds that hurt your
throat. So why should you invest your time and
money in learning this language?

One of the reasons why expats like living in the
Netherlands, is the language skills of the Dutch.
If you ask Dutch people if they speak English,
you will probably get the answer: 'a little bit', and
then you will find out they are nearly fluent!

So it is absolutely possible to survive in the
Netherlands without speaking Dutch. But if you
don't want to feel like a tourist, you should try to
learn some Dutch. And of course you feel
awkward if a group of Dutch people are speaking
English just because of you! The Dutch will
appreciate it if you try to speak the language
(although they will most likely reply in English).
And wouldn't it be fun to understand your Dutch
colleagues when they are gossiping during the
lunch break?

This is how Kit, a 27 year old UK citizen living in
Amsterdam, puts it:

Don’t believe the old claim that ‘learning Dutch is
pointless, as everyone speaks English anyway’;
if you’re resident in Holland for any length of
time, a Dutch course can make a serious
difference to your appreciation and enjoyment of
the country. I highly recommend it.

So it is worth putting some effort in learning Dutch! Here are some useful sentences to start with:

› Spreekt u Engels?
Do you speak English?

› Waar is de WC / het toilet?
Where is the bathroom?

› Mag ik u iets vragen?
May I ask you something?

› Ik kom uit de Verenigde Staten.
I come from the United States.

› Ik woon in Amsterdam.
I live in Amsterdam.

› Nog een keer alstublieft.
One more time, please.

› Niet zo snel alstublieft.
Not so fast, please.

› Wil je iets drinken?
Do you want to drink something?

› Een biertje graag.
A beer, please.


About the author
By Eduard Verbree, Dutch language teacher at Mercuur Taal in Amsterdam
www.mercuurtaal.nl


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