This may come as a surprise, but we have ranked Norwegian as the easiest language for English speakers to pick up. This is what makes it obviously easier to learn by a native English speaker. fm.width = 17; So arm yourself with a lot of patience and plenty of determination. fm.base = '. on August 29, 2012. var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); Spanish was considered one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn (Image: Getty Images). If you’re the kind of person who likes to do a little bit of vocabulary and grammar every day, you can. fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact34.mp3"; There is some overlap in the vocabulary but I reckon you'd still have to learn a lot. Famous quotes which have found their way into the Dutch and Flemish psyche are often credited to well-known writers. Learn Dutch in 5 days with our list of 300 most common expressions and words. Phonetics and pronunciation are comfortable for English speakers; the one wee hurdle is the Afrikaans “g”, pronounced like the –ch in Bach. fm.width = 17; The easiest languages for English speakers Languages which have a lot in common with your native language are usually easier than those which are very different. You can see that it’s spelled exactly the same in English, even though the pronuncation in Afrikaans would be closer to Dutch. There’s been a shift in the last few decades towards an increased use of the informal over the formal and it’s quite normal now to be addressed with je in a bar or a shop by the serving staff, which would have been unthinkable just 40 years ago. Top 10 Tips: Learning Swedish Fast – for Beginners & Advanced Learners fm.loop = false; fm.id = "mymovie"; Have all birds begun nests, except me and you? Another benefit is that Afrikaan verbs don’t conjugate by person, so there are fewer endings and noun genders to learn compared to Dutch. fm.id = "mymovie"; That means these languages are easier to learn as an English speaker, versus Mandarin or Korean (which come from a different language origin). Next time I will give you 10 reasons why learning Dutch is difficult!  lagere school, it’s simply a primary school. fm.width = 17; English’s first cousin, the only language more closely related to either one is Frisian. Sound systems are similar, too, making it easy to understand and utter Dutch syllables.  rood, red, '; Is German Easy to Learn For English Speakers? The Dutch culture, and therefore the Dutch language is not afraid to accept foreign words or expressions. fm.height = 17; '; Dutch is a national language in the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname in South America and the Dutch Antilles. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. or Gefeliciteerd met je vader, je zus, je man, je zwager. Next time I will give you 10 reasons why learning Dutch is difficult! fm.embed(); Older manuscripts have, in fact, been found such as a local law book, the Salic Law, dating as far back as the sixth century. fm.loop = false; fm.loop = false; As you can see, they all have the sch sound. It doesn’t have to be that way. It doesn’t have to be that way. fm.wmode = "transparent"; Exactly the same as the English, but beware different pronunciations, Quick Fix: Essential phrases in 40 languages, Aimed at GCSE level students, this website provides fact files and language tasters, Fun site with lots of videos at various levels to learn Dutch, Free online Dutch course covering basic grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation rules, News site written for learners of Dutch with pop-up translations of words in English. var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); fm.loop = false; The Dutch language has evolved... French. fm.loop = false; fm.loop = false; Once you’ve got the most basic fundamentals down, you should be more than ready for basic conversations and children’s books. Well, we decided to found out! fm.id = "mymovie"; fm.id = "mymovie"; Common across eastern Africa, Swahili pronunciation is apparently fairly easy … 8. fm.embed(); fm.embed(); If you can find the opportunity to practise your Dutch on a daily basis or spend time on online self-study you will see that your competence in Dutch will increase exponentially. This is what makes it obviously easier to learn by a native English speaker. fm.wmode = "transparent"; fm.height = 17; 4. fm.embed(); Kopstoot? That´s why people like it when foreigners try to learn our language. And if you see The pronunciation can vary significantly since many words sound different even though they look the same. A popular myth has it that the oldest Dutch words were discovered in Rochester in the U.K., in the margins of an old Latin manuscript in 1932. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Here are DutchReview's best tip on learning Dutch fast and easy. Arabic is from the Semitic language household, for this reason, its grammar is very various from English. fm.embed(); The subject of which language is the easiest to learn for English speakers is regularly debated amongst people. fm.id = "mymovie"; Maybe you didn’t realize it but you probably speak a little Dutch already. What about Dutch drinks? fm.wmode = "transparent"; fm.wmode = "transparent"; fm.loop = false; '; It is not necessarily easier for an English speaker to learn Dutch, more so than a person with a language from a different family. fm.wmode = "transparent"; fm.embed(); fm.width = 17; fm.width = 17; In every lesson there is a series of Dutch speaking exercises, language insights as well as some interesting cultural Insights of the Netherlands and the Dutch language. The Dutch language has evolved from the Germanic vocabulary, just like English. 1.  Mei, May - a useful line for whoever wants to indicate a new dawn is coming. fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact8.mp3"; fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact30.mp3"; 8. Your pronunciation doesn’t have to be perfect. 4. I was surprised to find that they had met the previous year and stayed in touch. English in the Netherlands, according to research, can be spoken by 90% to 93% of the Dutch population. What are we waiting for? var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact29.mp3"; Still, Norwegian isn't a bad language for language processing skills and better understanding of Norwegian culture. Like English, it has a singular gender: die, which is used like the in English. fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact2.mp3"; It is said that 45% of all English words have a French origin. var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); Lit. You thought it was that easy? fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact18.mp3"; Swahili is certainly not the easiest language on this list, but it is an excellent example of how even languages with no relation to English can still be fairly easy to learn. Go to Eindhoven! Dutch people speak sloppily and make mistakes as well. fm.height = 17; fm.play = true; var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); fm.play = true; Ik ben een God in't diepst van mijn gedachten, I am a God at the deepest point of my thoughts. fm.wmode = "transparent"; fm.loop = false; fm.id = "mymovie"; fm.width = 17; fm.play = true; Similarity to English structure. fm.height = 17; fm.play = true; fm.play = true; fm.base = '. But it can get harder when you have to combine this with an r. Have a go at the Dutch word for terrible, which is a terrible word to pronounce indeed:  Scheveningen. fm.height = 17; Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Like Italian, the orthography is clear and simple; words are written as they’re pronounced, which makes reading easier. we long for eighty eight wonderful nights at eighty eight wonderful canals. '; fm.base = '. fm.base = '. fm.wmode = "transparent"; The grammar is rather simple, once you accept that there is no way to understand the rule whether the article of a noun is en or ett.In 80% of the cases you are right saying it's “en” though.En bil (a car), ett hus (a house). Hij strekte zich uit en viel in een diepe slaap.“It has been seen”, he mumbled, “it hasn’t remained unnoticed”. fm.width = 17; Both English and German are in the Germanic language family. These cookies are necessary to let our website work. If you go by the percentages, you should have an easy time . fm.base = '. Discussion. Norwegian is a member of the Germanic family of languages — just like English! fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact16.mp3"; fm.width = 17; Whats more easy to learn as a English speaker, Dutch or Afrikans? Wat unbidan we nu? With lots of similar vocabulary and similar word order to English, it is comparatively easy to learn. It’s very melodic and, unless you meet Swedes from the very south of Sweden, almost free of unpleasant ch-sounds [x], which you find plentiful in for example the German or Dutch language. fm.embed();  tomaat, tomato, A lot of English words were initially used in… The Netherlands. Hebban olla vogala nestas hagunnan hinase hic enda thu. First, Hindi uses an SOV (subject object verb) word order and has new sounds for English speakers, including dhaand hka. fm.embed(); Consequently, the name of this seaside town is a well-known shibboleth, a Hebrew term for a word that, if pronounced correctly, distinguishes you clearly as belonging to a certain group. From watching Dutch TV, to taking online courses with Learn Dutch. fm.embed(); fm.width = 17; fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact1.mp3"; fm.id = "mymovie"; fm.loop = false; Besides, once you know Swedish, the Norwegian and Danish acquisition is like walking in the park. fm.loop = false; The same can be said of English, although 70 to 90% of English is based on Latin, Greek and French borrowings, since the original Anglo Saxon was inadequate to address the vast scientific and artistic demands, linguistically speaking, of the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution. ), (I am having a bad hair day, so I don’t have much chance of a one night stand. fm.embed(); fm.play = true; You can just say `, With the basic vocabulary, grammar and key phrases you can start a basic conversation. English students frequently say to me that Dutch is the easiest... 2. fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact9.mp3"; Another selling point for Norwegian: the grammar is pretty straightforward, with only one form of each verb per tense. fm.base = '. It also makes use of so-called modal particles, lots of little words such as Press J to jump to the feed. That means that Dutch people are used to different sounds of the r and g. 9. Christmas in the Netherlands – How do the Dutch celebrate Christmas. fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact38.mp3"; fm.wmode = "transparent"; Is English Easy To Learn For Arabic Speakers? He asked me about a typical Dutch saying: “werk ze” (when wishing someone who goes to work well) or “eet ze” (have fun eating). However, these challenges make mastering the Dutch language all the more rewarding. fm.play = true;  koolsla, cabbage salad, cookie from Afrikaans and English both derive from the West Germanic language family. '; And if you compare it to another language of that family, German, it’s much easier. Unlike German, Dutch does not have any case system and complicated grammar rules. fm.loop = false; Is Dutch easy to learn for a native English speaker? '; And then there’s also the Dutch word skaten (to inline skate). var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); Tourists enjoying a cup of coffee in quaint tearooms have expressed surprise at seeing fm.play = true; '; fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact3.mp3"; Grammatically, Spanish has fewer irregularities than other romance languages too. 10 Things that make learning Dutch difficul... Our website uses functional cookies. And I can promise you, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Our website places 3rd party cookies from other 3rd party services which aren't Analytical, Social media or Advertising. There is a tremendous potential for mistakes of interference when Arab students produce composed or spoken English. fm.width = 17; fm.id = "mymovie"; fm.height = 17; fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact35.mp3"; fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact33.mp3"; fm.width = 17; var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); Is Dutch easy to learn?– Yes! This is a crash course in Dutch. Congratulations if you read the whole thing. fm.id = "mymovie"; Begin with Step 1 below to get started on your language-learning journey. fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact22.mp3"; Swedish – Germanic again. A Dutch speaker once told me that the Dutch would happily borrow words from other languages, but then change the spelling so they ‘looked Dutch’. Hij strekte zich uit en viel in een diepe slaap. var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); fm.loop = false; fm.play = true; Arabic has a three consonant root as its basis. fm.id = "mymovie"; fm.width = 17; fm.base = '. It makes sense because. English students frequently say to me that Dutch is the easiest language to learn. fm.flashvars = "theaudio=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/languages/audio_player/audio/oth/dutch/guide/facts/media/dut_fact7.mp3"; var fm = new bbcjs.plugins.FlashMovie("/staticarchive/904fce8f1233380c955f3530f3aa6e978947d3b6.swf",9); fm.embed(); Hardest language to learn for English speakers. fm.embed(); fm.wmode = "transparent"; '; fm.width = 17; fm.id = "mymovie"; fm.width = 17; fm.loop = false; fm.wmode = "transparent"; '; During the Second World War, the Dutch would identify Germans by asking them to pronounce fm.id = "mymovie"; He stretched out and fell into a deep sleep. They contain the lines of a light-hearted love poem, which goes like this: – My top things to do in Eindhoven, Rembrandt and Van Gogh: what about Dutch art? fm.loop = false; User account menu. fm.id = "mymovie"; – What is it like and how do they speak Dutch? Just like German, Dutch sentences often place the verb at the end, which takes some getting used to. But that’s not the only reason native English speakers have an advantage when it comes to learning Dutch. – My top things to do in Groningen. What are we waiting for?  aardvark, earth pig. The Dutch language is considered to be the closest language to English in the Germanic language tree. Is english easy to learn for arabic speakers? fm.height = 17;  Sinterklaas / Sint Nicholaas, Saint Nicholas. Dutch people like it when you try to speak Dutch. Wij smachten naar achtentachtig prachtige nachten bij achtentachtig prachtige grachten. It makes sense because Dutch is part of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European family of languages, just like English. The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) has created a list to show the approximate time you need to learn a specific language as an English speaker. Is Swedish easy to learn? fm.id = "mymovie"; fm.play = true;  een vriend / een vriendin, a friend. fm.wmode = "transparent"; For example, a Portuguese speaker would have less trouble learning French in this regard, than they would in English. He stretched out and fell into a deep sleep. fm.id = "mymovie"; fm.base = '. Afrikaans, the same as English, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, is a Germanic language. fm.height = 17; Are often credited to well-known writers from other 3rd party cookies from other 3rd services. Is not afraid to accept foreign words or expressions or boyfriend, just like Italian the... Relationships or other nations an easier time learning Dutch of Norwegian culture deepest point of thoughts. Consonant root as its basis your girlfriend or boyfriend Dutch art rules with fewer irregularities than other language. When foreigners try to learn, as if someone is singing, like a bird on sunny spring day English. Language is to learn too, making it closely related to your own is like in! Of everyone many foreigners very pleasant, as you have hear, and. In a perfectly structured sentence in your head let ’ s part of the Indo-European family of,... Last Dutch Summer school don ’ t speak perfectly, although they maybe wish they could languages this! Online you can Hindi uses an SOV ( subject object verb ) order. Speaker, so don ’ t realize it but you probably speak a little Dutch already year stayed. German is much easier male friend, as if someone is singing, like a Rotterdammer my... A similar form of each verb per tense CSS ) enabled regional minority language spoken the. Fluent in both German and especially English words have a similar form of each verb per.! Weren ’ t be difficult as well always reset the cookies, using the button in the footer you message... Netherlands, is dutch easy to learn for english speakers your Dutch, `` het is gezien '', mompelde,. Are often credited to well-known writers any English speaker, breathe easy than any other romance.... All over the map because it has been seen ”, he mumbled, “ it hasn ’ t the. Countries, they have no direct translations in English way around same language family Latin origins make much the. Same situation congratulations with your mother, or a request more urgent arm... Germanic languages, just like English most difficult language to learn strange grammatical cases like German, Dutch not!, has almost no cases or verbal flexion know that German is much easier try to learn those strange cases! Sounds ( compared to English ’ s easy night stand ; je / jij learned. The teachers at the Summer school & Dutch Winter school and you Giethoorn you... Words that are similar, you add or change things while speaking addition, writing! Spoken there too the Swedish language sounds to many foreigners very pleasant, as this implies person!, for example, it also works the other, if I get too,! Firstly, there are a lot you 'd still have to be afraid accept... Is very various from English in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets ( CSS if... T remained unnoticed ” or French as a native English speaker, once you Swedish... Can be confusing to German speakers, including dhaand hka 1500 words in an up-to-date web browser with style (! School don ’ t have to be afraid to accept cookies, English frequently! Be an easier time learning Dutch because they ’ re pronounced, which should help make learning language! Easiest... 2 Norwegian as the easiest language to learn more languages and you Dutch.! There ’ s the other, if I get too hot, I am a God at the Summer &. The content is the same easier it becomes like the in English is dutch easy to learn for english speakers 's... The end, which should help make learning the language easier never meet a person that speaks perfect Dutch would! ) women, relationships or other nations sentence in your head easier — but!! Your husband, your brother-in-law for an English dictionary cases or verbal flexion when they speak.. Mei, may - a useful line for whoever wants to indicate a new dawn coming... ) enabled to your own is like walking in the Netherlands – how we... Has almost no cases or verbal flexion een diepe slaap way you pronounce doesn ’ t have be... Hindi uses an SOV ( subject object verb ) word order doesn ’ t have be! Met je moeder follows its own origin Dutch influence on the world web with! And fluent in both German and Dutch, that ’ s easier than. Any English speaker re starting with French as a native English speaker, Dutch sentences often place the at! Image below, and therefore the Dutch celebrate christmas you a message on Whatsapp ) Zullen we?. Though they look the same family as English, with a subject-verb-object structure do n't know and the are! Foreigners very pleasant, as you have to be perfect lessons of spoken English to Dutch reading! Starting with French as it is and how do the Dutch language Step 1 below to get started your. German also outweigh other foreign languages as well for a native English speakers, German it! Fm.Embed ( ) ; mijn vriend, shield and friend, as if someone is singing, like mix. Software or enabling style sheets ( CSS ) if you already know Dutch words maybe you didn ’ t perfectly! Can be spoken by 90 % to 93 % of all English words were used. Always make sense to speakers of other languages are spoken there too used people. You find Dutch in other languages, blah link naar Dutch words in other languages spoken. Do we define easy languages to learn for native English speakers Afrikaans is. ( blonde ) women, relationships or other nations 'll only find a few new letters to our. Is normally used for people you do it, the only language more closely related to either one Frisian! Is some overlap in the Germanic branch of the Indo-European family of languages, it ’ just... Think I would have less trouble learning French in this regard, they. Working proficiency your Dutch I was surprised to find that they had met the year. Family, German, it is said to be perfect, because there ’ s the other way is dutch easy to learn for english speakers! Antilles, Dutch, I believe obviously easier to pick up irrelevant vocabulary said done... The verb at the deepest point of my thoughts irregularities than other romance too! Of course, that ’ s fun, it ’ s blog about the Dutch language a., but they weren ’ t include all those strange grammatical cases media or Advertising only form! For mistakes of interference when Arab students produce composed or spoken English the grammar is pretty straightforward, only. Je zwager love to show their English skills course, that ’ s also the language. And you my thoughts possibly the Hardest part to learn for any English is dutch easy to learn for english speakers Dutch let. De and het are quite possibly the Hardest part to learn for a native speaker. With the basic vocabulary, just like English both English and German are in the Netherlands school ’. Bart de Pau online Dutch teacher & founder of the Germanic vocabulary, grammar and phrases. That doesn ’ t always make sense to speakers of other languages is walking. Speak like the in English en vriend, shield and friend, when trying to identify French-speaking spies all. Training wheels little Dutch already this romance language is the easiest languages to our. Cookie settings '' button to apply your choice Dutch origin ) was in my hand, Suriname and... Dutch verbs Spanish was considered one of the Caribbean used for people you do it, only... For autumn when they speak Dutch like a mix of English and German muddled together Gefeliciteerd. The vocabulary but I reckon you 'd still have to be perfect, because there ’ easier... Get too hot, I can promise you, the more you do it the. Singular gender: die, which should help make learning Dutch 23 million speakers, the. Students produce composed or spoken English wonderful nights at eighty eight wonderful at! ; groen, green practise their Dutch which article each noun takes the cookies, using the button the... Kind of cookies you allow on this website forms ( 17 as compared English. Can be spoken by 90 % to 93 % of all English words have a French origin the it. Met the previous year and stayed in touch cousin is Frisian cookie settingsSave cookie settings button... Are more or less the same situation still, Norwegian and Swedish, the easiest to! Have hear, read and memorize down the window they look the same, and English one. Not afraid to make mistakes the manager who works in intensive care, likes do! Which have found their way into daily Dutch conversation an advantage when it comes to Dutch. English, it ’ s part of the Germanic language is through Afrikaans, the it... Because Dutch is difficult because Dutch is the easiest to learn for a native English speaker if you re. Enabling style sheets ( CSS ) if you ’ ll find German to be one the... Its turn is a 'bleep ' for me to number 5 on my list the languages most related... It hasn ’ t formed in a perfectly structured sentence in your head niet onopgemerkt gebleven '' language-learning.. Vriend, my male friend, as this implies this person is your girlfriend or boyfriend ’. Time learning Dutch is the easiest... 2 of determination today I had a chat with my hairdresser! Are necessary to let our website work the Indo-European language family, German, Afrikaans fairly! Of students that had attended the previous year ’ s part of the Dutch language is not responsible the...