Blogs
The Dutch Diminutives: Why is everything so small in Dutch?
You have probably ordered a “biertje” in a café in the Netherlands before. Did you know that this word is actually a diminutive (implying smallness) form of the word “bier”, but in this context, it doesn’t actually mean that you ordered a small glass of beer. You...
10 Dutch Day Trips in Zuid-Holland
With the Netherlands being such a small country, taking a Dutch day trip is the perfect way to explore the country, whether you choose to travel by bike, train, or car! It's also a great opportunity to see something new, gain a new appreciation for your new home,...
How Long Does It Take To Learn Dutch?
It's the question all expats in the Netherlands ask me: "How many hours will it take for me to learn Dutch?" The question of how long it takes to learn Dutch is not a simple question to answer. While this Cambridge paper suggest it takes an average of 200 hours to...
The 15 Little Mistakes Beginner Dutch Speakers Make (and How to Fix Them!)
In Dutch “jij”, “je”, “jou” and “u” all mean “you” in English. And the word “zijn” can mean “are” or “his” depending on the sentence. This is all super confusing for beginners! Over the years I have heard students making a lot of similar mistakes, so I have...
How to Stay Motivated While Learning Dutch
If learning Dutch is one of your New Year’s resolutions, congratulations! You are about to take the first steps to feeling more comfortable, connected, and confident here in the Netherlands. Getting started is a challenge, but to practice and stay motivated while...
8 Reasons an Online Dutch Course Is Both Fun and Effective
Students are often not quite sure what to expect of an online Dutch class. During my first online Dutch course I was a bit anxious about the new technology and creating the right classroom atmosphere. However, after over a year of online classes and much...
Improve your Dutch in 4 weeks
As a native Dutch speaker and Dutch teacher, expats are often asking me the best way to improve Dutch skills quickly. While taking high-quality lessons from an experienced teacher (like me!) is of course the most efficient way to develop your Dutch skills, there...
Haar haar is roze. Her hair is pink.
Nine tricky Dutch words for beginners: haar, je, heet, heel, zijn, zeer, weer, meer, pas Beginners During the first lessons of my beginners ‘course Dutch for expats students always look puzzled when they first hear the sentence “Haar haar is roze”. They find it...