Consonant sounds that are more or less pronounced the same in Dutch and English include: B, C, D, F, H, K, L, M, N, P, S, T, and V. Dutch vowels are pronounced: A (like the “a” in “hard”), E (either like the “e” in “set” or the “a” in “cane”), I (like the “i” in “sit”), O (like the “o” in “hot” or the “oa” in “boat”), and U (say it like the “e” in “her,” but round your lips into an “O” shape instead of keeping them relaxed). In Dutch, “J” is pronounced like the English “Y. ” “R” is rolled, like in Spanish, but the sound is pronounced in the throat instead of the front of the mouth. Tricky sounds unique to Dutch include “G” and “W,” and it’ll take some practice to master them.
Say the English word “zip. ” The “z” is voiced, and you feel more of a vibration when you pronounce it. In “sip,” on the other hand, the “s” is unvoiced. Make the “ghuh” and “chuh” sounds with the back of your throat, but try not to voice the consonant sound. Practice saying Dutch words such as “goedemorgen” (ghooh-duh-mawr-ghuh), “goedenacht” (ghooh-duh-nahkht), and “gezellig” (ghuh-zell-eh-ghuh).
Practice saying the words for who, what, and where in Dutch: “wie” (wvee), “wat” (wvaht), and “waar” (wvahr).
Pronounce the double vowels: aa (“ahh”), ee (like the “a” in “may” or, when followed by r, like the “e” in “here”), oo (like the “o” in “no,” or as the “o” in “more” when followed by r), and uu (like “uhh” with the lips rounded and tongue brought to the front of the mouth). Sound out the vowel combinations: ai (rhymes with “I”), au (like “aw” in “awesome”), ei (rhymes with “eye”), ij (same as “ei” in Dutch), eu (somewhat like the vowel sound in “birth,” but with a rounded mouth), ie (rhymes with “we”), oe (rhymes with “who”), ou (like the “ou” in “house”), ui (no English equivalent; it sounds like a cross between “ow” and “oy”).
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Goedemorgen (ghoo-duh-mawr-guh), which means “good morning. ” Remember to make the guttural “gh” sound. Goedemiddag (ghoo-duh-mih-dahgh), or “good afternoon. ” Goedenavond (ghoo-duh-nah-fohnt), which is Dutch for “good evening. ”
”Groetjes” (ghroot-yes; the “oo” sounds more like “book” than “choose”) is another informal way of saying “goodbye. ” It means “best wishes. ”[8] X Research source You can also say goedenacht (ghoo-duh-nahkht), which means “goodnight. ”
“Dank u wel (dahnk-ew-vehl) is the formal way to say “thank you. ” “Dank je wel” (dahnk-yuh-vehl) is the informal version. You can also use “hartelijk bedankt” (hahr-tuh-lik buh-dahnkt), or “thank you very much. ” To say “you’re welcome,” use “graag gedaan” (ghrahgh ghuh-dahn).
The formal way to ask someone’s name is “Hoe heet u?” (hoo hayt ew).
“Goed” (ghoot), which means “good” or “fine. ” “Heel goed” (hayl ghoot), or “very well. ” “Het gaat” (uht ghaht), which means “so-so. ” “Slecht” (slehkht), which is “bad,” or “niet zo goed” (neet zoh ghood), which means “not so good. ”
“Ik spreek niet zo goed Nederlands” (ik sprayk neet zoh ghood nay-der-lahnds), or “I don’t speak Dutch very well. ” “Mag ik een” (mahg ick uhn), which means “May I have a. ” To ask for a coffee, for example, say “Mag ik een koffie, alsjeblieft?” (mahg ick uhn kof-fee, ahl-shuh-bleeft). “Wat kost het?” (wvat kohst ut), which means “How much is it?” “Waar is het toilet?” (wvahr is hut twah-let?), or “Where is the bathroom?”
Writing, reading, and speaking words out loud can make it easier to commit them to memory. Try making themed lists with words related to a single topic. Find vocabulary lists related to colors, food, animals, household objects, professions, and places at http://mylanguages. org/dutch_vocabulary. php.
Een (ain, 1), twee (twvay, 2), drie (dree, 3), vier (veer, 4), vijf (vayf, 5), zes (zehs, 6), zeven (zay-vuhn, 7), acht (ahght, 8), negen (nay-guhn, 9) tien (teen, 10), elf (elf, 11), twaalf (twvahlf, 12), dertien (dehr-teen, 13), veertien (vayr-teen, 14), vijftien (vayf-teen, 15) zestien (zehs-teen, 16), zeventien (zay-vuhn-teen, 17), achttien (ahght-teen, 18), negentien (nay-guhn-teen, 19), twintig (twin-tuhgh, 20). Add the number before the noun it describes just as you would in English. For example, “Mag ik twee vaasjes, alsjeblieft?” (mahg ick twvee vahs-yus, ahl-shuh-bleeft) means “May I have 2 beers, please?”
“Lekker” (it’s pronounced as it’s spelled) can mean “yummy” or “nice. ” Use it to describe a tasty meal or to add a positive emphasis to a statement. “Slaap lekker” (slahp lekker), for example, means “sleep well. ” “Te gek” (tuh ghehkh), which literally means “too crazy,” is used to describe something as “awesome” or “fun. ” If someone asks you how your trip was, for instance, you’d say “Te gek!” “Zeg mar” means “so to speak,” and is sometimes inserted casually into sentences. In English, someone might say, “It’s so, like, cool, but a little weird. ” A Dutch person would say, “Het is heel leuk, zeg maar, maar ook een beetje raar” (ut is hayl loke, zehgh mahr, mahr oke uhn bay-tyuh rahr).
Even if you don’t understand the words, hearing Dutch dialog can help you get a feel for pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation. Online Dutch dictionaries with audio word pronunciations are also helpful.
Mistakes are an important part of the learning process, so don’t get frustrated or nervous if you make an error. If you mispronounce something or say the wrong word, just jot down the correction in a notebook.
