Dutch is a Germanic language with a multifaceted culture. Around 25 million people speak it in two different European countries: the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Belgium. And while these countries may share a common language, they have taken very different paths through history.
One is famous for its tulips, mills, speculaas biscuits, Gouda, cycling paths and the colour orange; the other is renowned for its French fries, beer, chocolate, waffles, Manneken Pis and the European Union.
For the Dutch as for Belgians, having different cultures also means having different identities. The Dutch tend to be confident, direct and adept. Gedogen (tolerance) and polderen are two principles that are closely connected to their identity and self-perception. Across the border, you’re likely to find modesty, implicit communication and compromise.
Learning Dutch is no easy task. While we’ve simplified the language a bit by doing away with grammatical cases, there are plenty of other ways for language learners to get caught in a snare.
But if you can pronounce sentences like Ik eet graag groene groenten, Ik bestel vaak frietjes met ketchup, and Die drie gezellige grieten gaan goed gekleed naar school, you’re on the right track. But if you really want to sound like a native speaker, you’ll have to get past the notorious DT rule of conjugation.
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