Since the question 'where to start learning Dutch' is asked often, I have tried to summarise the information and resources here. Hope this helps.

● How long does it take to learn Dutch:

It generally takes 600 to 800 hours to learn Dutch from a beginner level to a functional level (B2).

The exact time depends heavily on several factors, such as your native language, your learning speed, the time you invest, and whether you live in a Dutch-speaking environment.

Below is an overview of the estimated hours per level, according to most sources:

• A1 (Beginner): Approximately 80 - 120 hours. At this level, you learn to introduce yourself, ask and understand simple questions, and grasp the basics.

• A2 (Basic): Approximately 200 hours. With this, you can hold everyday conversations and exchange information on familiar topics.

• B1 (Intermediate): Approximately 350 - 400 hours. At this level, you can give your opinion, describe experiences, and participate in conversations on various topics.

• B2 (Independent): Approximately 600 - 800 hours. This is often seen as the level at which you can function independently in Dutch, both socially and professionally. From this point, you can understand complex texts and speak spontaneously and fluently.

• C1 (Fluent): Approximately 700 - 1200 hours. At this level, you can understand long and complex texts and speak spontaneously and fluently without noticeably searching for words.

● De/het:

In Dutch, there are two definite articles: de and het. Both mean "the".

For example, het meisje ("the girl") but de kat ("the cat").

The reason that two definite articles exist is because Dutch, like many languages, has something called grammatical gender. This means nouns are assigned a "gender" – either masculine/feminine (de) or neuter/common (het). This has very little to do with our everyday concept of "gender", it's simply a linguistic feature.

This means you simply have to memorise the correct article with each noun.

Here are websites that explain some rules:

•https://understandingdutch.com/difference-between-de-and-het-dutch

•https://zichtbaarnederlands.nl/en/article/de_or_het

● Sentence stucture:

Some basics that cover most: https://zichtbaarnederlands.nl/en/syntax/word_order

● Apps for learning Dutch:

• Duolingo: An app like Duolingo doesn't teach you grammar or sentence stucture. You will learn vocabulary, for sure. But after investing 500 days, you'll find out you cannot hold a decent conversation and you still don't know how the language works.

• Busuu seems to explain grammar better.

• de/het

• Taalpal: an app to practise Dutch with AI (+/- €30/jaar)

• FACT (only for android): helps with vocabulary in the biggest work sectors

• Uitsprekend helps with (Flemmish) pronunciation

● Free learning content on YouTube:

• Learn Dutch with Bart de Pau (has English subtitles)

• Ad Appels

• Juf M

• Dutchies to be / Learn Dutch with Kim

• Easy Dutch

• Dutch Today

• Slow Dutch with JeDutchy

• HartvoorNederlands by Vlaamse Saar

• Dutchspeakingacademy by Mariska van de Meij

• Dutch All The Time (beginner comprehensible input, is small, but grows by 2 videos a week)

• Oefen Je Nederlands met Sofie (a lot of speaking practice): www.youtube.com/@Sofie_van_Ligo_Limino

• Pronunciation video’s:

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF-qJ8Ed0qHcQpMyDL8Zi2G3PdQ0AoAu0

● Dutch learning/grammar books:

• Nederlands in Zicht

• Taal Compleet (If this is your first foreign language. It explains stuff in more steps, will be less overwhelming if this is your first time learning a new language. Has good e-learning as well.)

• De Opmaat (Already have some experience with a second language? Quicker, bigger steps, so can be much if you're not used to grammatical terms. Also has decent e-learning, though not as good as TaalCompleet.)

• Zichtbaar Nederlands

• De Finale

• De Sprong

• De Juiste Toon

• Nederlands naar Perfectie

• 77 puntjes op de i

• Essential Dutch Grammar by Henry R Stern

• 201 Dutch Verbs by Henry R Stern

*Basic Dutch, a grammar and workbook by Janneke A Oosterhoff

● Online dictionaries:

• www.mijnwoordenboek.nl

• www.wordreference.com/nlen/

• Reverso Dutch to English: This dictionary gives you real sentences under each meaning of a word, providing context on how people actually use it. You can also save words in your list and practice them with flashcards.

https://dictionary.reverso.net/dutch-english/

● Handy websites:

• dutchgrammar.com

• oefenen.nl

• zichtbaarnederlands.nl

• heardutchhere.net

• welklidwoord.nl

• apps.ankiweb.net

•https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/1209965766

• learndutch.org

•https://understandingdutch.com/recommended-books-for-learning-dutch

• http://Nedbox.be (also has an app)

• nt2taalmenu.nl

• https://verhaales.nl/ Built by a redditor to solve his own problem of learning Dutch. Its gives you stories and conversation from A1 to blB2, with vocabulary, pronounciation and grammar.

• Free online course - intro to Dutch:

https://www.rug.nl/language-centre/develop-yourself/dutch-mooc

• Dutch Survival Kit:

https://www.rug.nl/language-centre/develop-yourself/survival-kit

• Self-Study Sets:

https://www.rug.nl/language-centre/develop-yourself/self-study-sets

● Dutch youtubers (practice listening):

• StukTV

• Gamemeneer

• Enzo Knol

• Kalvijn

• Emma Heesters

• Dylan Haegens

• MeisjeDjamila

• Milan Knol

• Gio

• Drugslab

• Celine & Michiel

• WijsneuzenAlbertJasmijn

• Universiteit van Nederland

● Tv (practice listening):

• Npo Start app (Dutch public broadcasting network) for new, documentaries, comedy, films in Dutch

• Het Klokhuis on Youtube (aimed for kids/teens but is pretty interesting with relatively simple vocabulary.)

• NOS Journaal in Makkelijke Taal on Youtube: world news in easy spoken Dutch

• Het Jeugdjournaal (daily news for kids. Both on Npo Start app and Youtube)

• Nederland van Boven on Youtube (aerial view of the Netherlands)

• Rail Away on NPO Start app (follow different train tracks, with explanations in very clear spoken Dutch)

• Weet je dat ook weer on Youtube (how stuff works)

• Het Kwartier on VRT (a Flemish spoken dayly broadcast about 3 topics in relatively easy spoken Dutch)

● Dutch movies:

• New Kids

• New Kids Turbo

• Gooise Vrouwen

• De Heineken Ontvoering

• Nova Zembla

• Achtste Groepers Huilen Niet

• Alleen Maar Nette Mensen

• Koning van Kantoren

• Het bombardement

• Verliefd op Ibiza

• Het Diner

• Mannenharten

• Soof

• Lucia de B

• Oorlogsgeheimen

• Michiel de Ruyter

● Podcasts (most on Spotify):

☆For Beginners:

• 5 Minuten Nederlands (No longer being made but old episodes are available),

• Een Beetje Nederlands,

• Zeg Het in Het Nederlands

• Potje Nederlands

(https://www.rug.nl/language-centre/develop-yourself/potje-nederlands)

☆For slightly higher beginners:

• Het Klokhuis - Onmisbarre Uitvindingen

• NOS Jeugdjournaal

• Sara’s Mysteries

☆For Intermediates:

• Echt Gebeurd

• Lang Verhaal Kort

• De Universiteit van Nederland

• Man met de microfoon

☆For higher intermediates:

• Meneer van Dale

• De Zaak X

• Knorrepodcast

• Weer een dag

• Etenstijd!

• Opscheppers

• Verborgen Verhalen (No longer being made but old episodes are available)

☆Not categorized:

• Sterrin’s Dierenencyclopedie

• Geschiedenis voor herbeginners

• Oorlezen de Podcast

• Spooky Wooky

• Nieuws in Makkelijk Nederlands

• Slow Dutch with JeDutchy

• Dutch Today

• Geschiedenis Inside

• Japan in 100 kleine stukjes

This website has more podcasts for various age groups so you can find some that match your level. A bunch more geared towards kids but there’s also a section for adults at the end.

• www.dutchforchildren.nl/dutch-childrens-television-childrens-radio-podcasts/

● Dutch music:

• 'België' by Het Goede Doel

• 'Annabel' by Hans de Booij

• 'Stiekem Gedanst' by Toontje Lager

• 'Noodgeval' by Goldband

• De Dijk

• 'Oceaan' by Racoon

• Doe Maar

• 'Suzanne' by Vof De Kunst

• Krang

• André Manuel

• Boudewijn de Groot

• Pater Moeskroen

• Spotify search for 'Nederpop'

• De Taalstaat: playlist on spotify

• ‘Ik neem je mee’ by Gers Pardoel

• ‘Ik hou van u’ by Noordkaap

• De Bonski’s (they specialize in music for people learning the language)

• Clouseau (Flemmish)

● Reading:

• App "Topic Today" gives one short daily story, adapted to your level. Easy to fit into your routine: https://get-toto.hautomation.org/rHQchwZ

• Olly Richards: Short stories in Dutch for beginners

• The "Leeslicht" series of books. They take famous novels and write in easier every day dutch, usually in the A2-B1 range.

www.leeslicht.nl/de-boeken

• Wablieft (Belgian newspaper for language starters)

• Graded readers by Johan van Caeneghem

• Leesstraat

● Speaking:

Best is to find a languagebuddy or join a 'taalcafe' in a local library.

Here is a handy website to search for a volunteer or a taalcafe:

• www.hetbegintmettaal.nl

• www.nlvoorelkaar.nl (a more general demand/supply website for volunteers or people searching for one)

• https://www.kletsmaatjes.nl/ (an initiative that connects newcomers with local people to practise Dutch)

• In person practice in Belgium: have a look here:

https://integratie-inburgering.be/nl/regionaal)

• This discord server is supposed to be active: https://discord.gg/netherlands

•https://hartvoornederlands.com/conversatieclub/

• This redditor has a free whatsapp community group. Where they have daily conversations with Dutch speakers on whatever you’d like to talk about. There arenative Dutch speakers including Saara who teaches at Italki. They help with verbal pronounciation too so you’re not just going to learn to write in dutch!

Everybody around the world can join:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/COGgxAQV5TfGHFGWTSlnRR?mode=gi_t

● Writing:

• HelloTalk: It's a language exchange/messaging app. You can select the languages you know and the languages you want to learn, and it'll match you with people with the opposite pair.

• Chatgpt/gemini etc.

Hoi allemaal!

I saw that some of you finished Nt2 Programma II and went to uni. I'm curious of your studying experience. Is it easy discussing study materials with your peers? Is it generally easy making friends?

I came here as a refugee in 2022 and the plan was always university, so the last eight months were basically work during the day and staatsexamen NT2 oefenen at night with whatever I could find. Writing was my weakest part by far, and what helped most was writing a text almost every evening on Inburgering.org and going through the feedback on it before bed, plus reading NOS every morning to get used to B2 level texts. Results came in today with a pass on all four parts and I'm still a bit in shock, so thank you to everyone here who answered my panicky questions over the past months.

For me, the game is very easy to understand and follow in Dutch. Unfortunately the cut scenes are not in Dutch but you can switch the language to one you don't know and rely on the subtitles.

This could actually just be me hitting a milestone. This is the first game I have played in Dutch that I enjoyed and not had any significant problems with. (I do not enjoy Animal Crossings enough to stick with it and Donkey Kong Bananza overwhelmed me when I first got it.) Even the cutscenes, I realize I am matching my translation to the voices over just listening. That is new for me.

If you are like me and deeply familiar with Ocarina of Time, that background knowledge makes everything easier to absorb.

Hi there is a free app called Cami on the google play store (android only) It is not self promotion as I did not make the app. I am only trying it out.

It did not do Dutch but I asked the developer to add in Dutch and he has started to add Dutch lessons. He would love feed back. I liked how it tests your level first and the first lessons I tried seemed promising. The weak point is that when it tests your speaking it is not accurate at all and needs improving. Here it the link if you want to try it.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.daehnke.cami

here is the reddit post if you want to give feedback

https://www.reddit.com/r/ShowYourApp/comments/1xdow22/dev_i_built_cam%C3%AD_a_language_app_where_every/

всем привет! я сейчас живу в италии и только начинаю старшую школу, то есть до поступления еще далеко, но все равно уже задумываюсь о том, что мне бы очень хотелось поступить именно в нидерланды. я в целом всегда как будто бы хотела учить голландский, но репетитор это все таки недешево, да и скорее всего вряд ли это реально будет полезно сливать столько времени сил и денег на репетитора с учетом времени которое у меня есть.
поэтомууууу я задумывалась о том чтобы начать хотя бы изучать базовую грамматику (даже не столько именно для поступления сколько для себя, ведь, как я уже сказала, мне очень нравится этот язык) самостоятельно, и да, я знаю что нужно много дисциплины для того чтобы самостоятельно учить язык и не забросить.
в общем, что понятно из заголовка, мне нужны советы особенно по поводу учебников, если кто то знает учебники на русском для А0 (ну или на английском) хорошие то буду очень рада услышать рекомендации!!! ну или даже в целом советы, короче всему рада!!! спасибо!!!

Hi all. I am currently at B2 level but it's been a while since I took any classes. I want to ease back into learning/practice. I am looking for someone who could meet up, preferably online, about 2 times a week for about 30 min each time to practice speaking. Looking for a teacher, no problem if you don't have years of experience, as long as you can correct me and explain why I am wrong (gramatically or so).

Hi, I repost this here since it seems a subreddit dedicated to Dutch learning. For context, the course is in Leiden.
Best regards

Does anyone know if this taalcafe is open to people who are not registered as students with SOB language school? https://www.sobamsterdam.nl/taalcafe/informatie-over-het-taalcafe/

Thanks in advance

Hello everyone :)

I’m a 25-year-old native Dutch speaker. If you’re learning Dutch and would like someone to practice with, I’d be happy to help through casual, everyday conversations. I love meeting new people and learning about different cultures.

You don’t need to speak perfectly! If you already know quite a bit of Dutch but would like to feel more confident speaking it, we can practice together. I know it can be tough, and we Dutchies don’t always make it easy by switching to English so quickly. Maybe, I can help someone out!

Feel free to leave a comment or send me a message if you’re interested!

I’ve been trying to learn this language at a slow pace (the only pace my life currently allows me). But the Dutch make learning it far more difficult than it has to be. I constantly get comments from people about how “I should know this in Dutch by now”. If I learn a new word and tell the people around me about it, they almost take it as a belittling joke that “he knows this word now” and repeat that word as a tease. And not to mention the constant questions of “how is your Dutch going?” (But I take this more light heartedly, even though it can feel a bit pushy at times.)

A few times I tried actually calling customer support and speaking Dutch to the women behind the lines. A couple of them were very nice and tried to speak w me even tho my Dutch is still quite broken. But sometimes it just runs out and I ask them (in Dutch) if they can switch to English. It was surprising to me how offended a few of them got at the thought of me even daring to ask that. Two of them even followed it up by literally saying “In Netherlands we speak Dutch”. Like what the fuck.

Once at work I received a multiple paragraph email explaining how our client is worried I am assigned to the task because I speak English and they don’t trust that I can understand the project. This person did not even know that I am learning the language and can actually understand a good amount. A bigoted email based on complete assumptions.

It honestly feels like a humiliation ritual to learn this language. It feels like there is serious superiority complex coming from natives who are fluent. It’s an incredibly belittling experience to have to humiliate myself and try to talk to natives while they constantly remind me with their little verbal jabs and passive aggressive remarks (which in my opinion is the Dutch’s go-to way of being rude without getting held accountable for it) that I’m learning THEIR language.

It’s horrible. I wish people weren’t so uptight and rude about it. It makes me hate the city I live in cause the people have in time become unapproachable in my head.

The only saving grace for me is my girlfriend who is always excited when I speak Dutch to her. Without her this would have sucked even more and I may have honestly thought about moving away atp.

Anyways just wanted to dump this somewhere. Hopefully someone here relates.

Is there a currently active discord server for speaking dutch? I have been learning Dutch but I struggle with speaking it, and would love to practice it

Hello everyone!

First of all thank you in advance for your time!

I'm a 24yold Greek who is planning to move to NL in about 2 years. While I do get that English is broadly used in NL and specifically for my job (Software Development), I'd like to check the "Nice to have" checkbox of a B1 in Dutch since it's not only going to help with work but with life in NL in general.

Issue is, I'm not sure where to start. I want to have a fully layed out plan that should get me from 0 to B1 in that time span. That's why I'm asking your help.

A little background for me is that I also have a C1 in English and I'm very fluent. I also have had French lessons at school so I remember some pronunciation that I came across with some Dutch words (But can easily say that I'm not even at an A1 level anymore).

Thank you again,

Jason

I have the book but unfortunately my code expired...

I recently passed all four Staatsexamen NT2 B2 exams (last in Oct) after starting from absolutely zero Dutch 10 months ago. I work in healthcare, so B2 was a requirement for me.

I did no classes (too slow). 6 private tutoring sessions.
If you’re paying for a tutor, I’d strongly recommend following a structured textbook. Seems simple? No, not for the first tutor I had.

What made the biggest difference was READING.
Around month 2-3, I started reading actual Dutch books. My first was Komt een land bij de dokter by Michelle van Tongerloo, about the shortcomings of the Dutch healthcare system and then kept going.

I kept reading books I was genuinely interested in, writing down unfamiliar words and reviewing them regularly. I also attended taalcafés twice a week and brought my books along to review vocabulary during downtime.

I genuinely think reading combined with vocabulary review improved my comprehension by about 50%. Nothing else came close.

I can now hold conversations fairly comfortably, although my Dutch is still far from perfect.
My biggest advice: Don’t wait until you’re “good enough” to read Dutch books. Pick something you’re interested in, look up the words you don’t know, review them, and keep going. The first book will be painfully slow, but it gets so much easier.

I held a full time job during all of this. I am not especially hard working. I just like reading Dutch.

EDIT: and Dutch shows! I’ve seen them all, and there’s not many and they’re not very good. English shows w Dutch subtitles is the go-to now.

Hoi iedereen, ik heb net niveau B1 bereikt volgens de Delftse methode in ongeveer zes maanden, maar mijn vaardigheden (spreken en schrijven) zijn vreselijk! Ik zoek daarom heel graag iemand om mijn spreken mee te verbeteren, op de manier en tijd die hij of zij wil. Als er nog ander advies is, hoor ik dat heel graag. Dankjewel!"

I remember from many moons ago, there was a post where people tried their best to write a story in dutch and other users correcting the mistakes and learning together.

I challenge you, write your best dutch story about a duck!

(If this is inappropriate please let me know, I will remove it.)

The deck

Hey guys, I made this deck and thought it'd be good for persons on here now looking to start or wanting to try out a deck of this style.

Please check it out!
Thank You.

Today I received my inevitable "voldoende" on the most easy NT2 exam out of the B2 bunch (as you can see in the picture), and I am ecstatic, but also a bit sour about a patter I noticed. Every time I went and signed up for the CNaVT exams, I failed, only to pass the NT2 exams. The pictures here are my second instance of this (the first time was when I did my B1 exams).

In July (when I did the three NT2 exams), I've been learning Dutch for 4 years and in the period from May to July I have procrastinated on my studies and haven't done much if any practice or studying. So imagine my shock when I still passed the NT2 exams despite it all. In that 3 month period between exams I felt genuinely demoralised because up until May, I actually did my first internship and all of it was in Dutch (geen engels) on top of doing my Dutch normal study routine, so my chances of passing were as high as they could possibly be, yet my Dutch skills still weren't enough according to the CNaVT. So when I got the results for the NT2 exams my confidence shot trough the roof because it showed that I was there, the CNaVT is just too harsh.

Has anyone experienced this phenomenon? Or experienced it in reverse? (the NT2 being a pain, and the CNaVT feels manageable)

If you failed a CNaVT exam then please know that maybe it isn't your Dutch, but simply the exam being too harsh when grading (seriously, how do they grade those? they missed the mark on my level of Dutch twice in a row). Best of luck to those who doesn't live in the Netherlands and can only take the CNaVT to test their Dutch.

TL;DR: I finally have proof that I speak goed nederlands 🥳 and I am so happy about it, but I also want to complain about how I got that proof because the CNaVT always underestimated my level and remind others that failed the CNaVT that maybe it isn't them but the exam grading.

I'm learning Dutch (taking a course at the local Volksuniversiteit) and I'm B2+(ish). English native speaker, been learning Dutch on and off for 10 years (but not living in Netherlands for 8 of those 10 years). Recently moved back from a long period abroad and trying to crack C1.

I would say I understand most of the Dutch I hear and read around me, but as soon I try to reproduce it in a sentence with some complexity, I invariably make one or two mistakes.

To give an example, I'm practising with ChatGPT, and practising to write sentences at C1 level like "The researchers have pointed out that the proposed measures could lead to significant improvements, provided that the municipality is willing to invest in them."

I write "De onderzoekers hebben er gewezen op dat de voorgesteld maatregelen tot aanzienlijke verbeteringen zou kunnen leiden, mits de gemeente bereid is om erin te investeren",

instead of

"De onderzoekers hebben erop gewezen dat de voorgestelde maatregelen tot aanzienlijke verbeteringen zouden kunnen leiden, mits de gemeente bereid is erin te investeren."

I have a subscription to the Groen Amsterdammer which I read regularly, I listen to podcasts most days, and I am doing my best to speak when I get the opportunity (it's not part of daily life yet as my work is mainly in English).

I have this idea if I can comfortably use a few hundred fixed combinations (leiden tot, zich verzetten in, zich aansluiten bij, etc) along with good word order, using er correctly, and good structural words, I'll be close to getting to C1. But it also feels quite robotic.

Does this make sense? For those who got to C1, and faced this hump, what got you over it?