The easiest way to learn Dutch is to read and listen to short, easy Dutch about things you already like, checking the translation when you need it. Leave grammar tables and long word lists for later, because easy Dutch keeps showing you the most common words and patterns. Below are the first steps in order, and some easy Dutch to start with.
Is Dutch Easy to Learn?
Dutch is one of the easier languages for English speakers to learn, though word order and the de or het of each noun take time. The U.S. Foreign Service Institute puts Dutch in its first group, the languages closest to English, with Swedish and Danish. Our guide to the fastest way shows how long it takes.
Three things make the start easier than it looks.
- An Alphabet You Already KnowDutch uses the same 26 letters as English, so you can sound out your first words right away.
- Words You Already KnowMany Dutch words look like English ones, such as melk (milk) and brood (bread).
- Long Words Made of Short OnesMany long words are short ones joined together, so fietspad (bike path) is fiets (bike) plus pad (path).
What Is the Easiest Way to Start?
The easiest way to start is with greetings and other short Dutch you enjoy, one small step at a time.
- Start With GreetingsBegin with lines you can use right away, like Goedemorgen (good morning) and Dank je wel (thank you).
- Read About What You LoveRead short dialogues about food, music, or anything else you already enjoy.
- Listen While You ReadPlay the audio as you read, so each word's sound and spelling go together.
- Hide the TranslationKeep the English hidden, and check it only when a line stops you.
- Save a Few WordsSave only the few words you want to keep, and save each noun with its de or het.
- Say a Line Out LoudRead a line aloud whenever it feels fun, like an order you want to use at a Dutch cafe.
Bubblegum is a language app for reading and listening to Dutch at your level, with lessons that Poppy, its AI tutor, writes about the things you like. Words you save come back inside new lessons through Regenerative Review™, so reviewing them means reading more Dutch.
What Makes Dutch Feel Hard, and How Can You Make It Easier?
Four parts of Dutch feel hard at first, and each one gets easier when you meet it again and again in easy Dutch.
| What feels hard | The easy fix |
|---|---|
| Two words for "the" | Easy Dutch shows you the same nouns many times, like de koffie (the coffee) and het water (the water), so each one starts to sound right with its de or het. |
| The little word er | Easy dialogues use er in short lines like Er is koffie (There is coffee), so it feels familiar first. Open a grammar note only when one use of it confuses you. |
| The verb at the end of the sentence | Short lines like Ik wil Nederlands leren (I want to learn Dutch) put the second verb last, and after many of them the order starts to feel normal. |
| Fast speech in shows | Listen to slow, clear audio made for learners first. Words you already know are much easier to catch in fast speech. |
What Is Easy Dutch to Start With?
Easy Dutch to start with is short and slow, and it is about something you enjoy. Dutch you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input.
| What | Why it's easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Lessons about Dutch cafes | Level 1, Bubblegum's easiest level, uses short lines with audio and a translation. | Free on this site |
| Juf M | A teacher explains Dutch with pictures and almost no English, in videos for complete beginners. | youtube.com/@jufmnt2 |
| Super Easy Dutch | Easy Dutch's beginner videos come with subtitles in Dutch and English. | easy-languages.org |
| Duostories | Short stories about everyday moments come with audio and a few questions, once you know some words. | duostories.org |
If a new word shows up in almost every line, switch to something easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dutch pronunciation hard?
Most of it is easy to learn, because Dutch spells most words the way they sound. Once you know that oe sounds like the oo in food and ie sounds like the ee in see, you can read zoet (sweet) and bier (beer) out loud. Sounds that English doesn't have, like the g in goed (good) and the ui in huis (house), take more listening.
Can I learn Dutch just by watching Dutch shows?
Not at the start, because most of an episode goes by too fast for a beginner to learn from. Shows help more once you can follow a simple conversation, especially with Dutch subtitles on. The NOS, the Dutch public broadcaster, makes a weekday news show in easy Dutch called NOS Journaal in Makkelijke Taal, and it makes a good first show.
Which Dutch app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Dutch, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. For courses, tutors and speaking practice, see our comparison of Dutch apps.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
The Dutch lessons on this site are also free and need no account.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Dutch orthography (the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet)
- U.S. Department of State, Foreign Language Training (FSI language categories)
- Easy Languages, Easy Dutch (street interviews with Dutch and English subtitles)
- Duostories, Dutch stories for English speakers
- NOS, NOS Journaal in Makkelijke Taal
