1.

GENDER AND ARTICLES

In Dutch, there are three (grammatical) genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Each gender has their
own definite article (the): both singular masculine and feminine nouns use de and singular neuter
nouns use het. For plural nouns, de is always used. The definite articles de and het don't have very clear
rules for when you're supposed to use which; this will mostly be learning by heart and developing a
feeling for it. However, there are some guidelines to help you along:

De words:

De is always used for plural nouns

De is always used for professions: de kok (the chef), de leraar (the teacher)

De tends to be used for people with an identified gender, such as: de vader (the father), de dochter
(the daughter)

De is used for vegetables, fruits, trees and plants, names of mountains, and rivers

Furthermore, de is used for most words ending on -ie, -ij, -heid, -teit, -schap, -tie, -sie, -aar, -eur, -er, and
-or.

Finally, de is used for written-out numbers and letters: de drie (the three), de a (the a).

Het words:

Het is always used for diminutives. Diminutives can be recognised by their suffix; they end in -je, -tje, -
etje, -pje, or -mpje.

Het is always used for words consisting of two syllables and starting with be-, ge-, ver-, and ont-

Het is always used for verbs used as nouns. When the infinitive form of a verb is used as a noun (e.g. 'the
walking of the dog'), Dutch uses het (het lopen van de hond).

Het is always used for languages and names of metals

Het is also used for names of compass points: het noorden (the North)

Het is used for names of sports and games: het schaken (chess), het voetbal (football/soccer)

Furthermore, het is used for words ending on -isme and ment

2. PRONOUNS
The Dutch pronouns are as follows:

English Dutch

I Ik

You (singular) Jij (Je*)

He/She/It Hij/Zij (Ze*)/Het

You (formal) U

We Wij (We*)

You (plural) Jullie

They Zij (Ze*)

3. VERB CONJUGATION
In Dutch, verbs can be recognised by the ending -en. For example, eten (to eat)
and drinken (to drink). Verb conjugation in Dutch can get rather difficult, since there are
lots of exceptions (welcome to Dutch, where exceptions are the rule!). The most basic rule
is: find the stem and add the right ending to it. To find the stem of the word, you take the
infinitive of the word the basic form that you can find in the dictionary and take off the
ending, i.e. -en. So in the example of 'drinken', (to drink), the stem would be drink-. For the
simple present, the conjugation is as follows:

Pronoun Conjugation Example

Ik [stem] Ik drink (I drink)

Jij [stem]+t Jij drinkt (You drink)

Hij/Zij/Het [stem]+t Hij drinkt (He drinks)

U [stem]+t U drinkt (You drink)

Wij Infinitive Wij drinken (We drink)

 Pronoun Conjugation Example

Jullie Infinitive Jullie drinken (You drink)

Zij Infinitive Zij drinken (They drink)

4. GREETINGS THROUGHOUT THE DAY

As in English, Dutch has many different ways of greeting others. The most common one,
which you can use all day, is Hallo.

An easy way of greeting people throughout the day, is to say the time of day and
add goede- "good" in front of it - just like in English. If the time of day starts with a vowel,
you squish an -n- in between (an exception being "goedendag"). As follows:

Time of day Greeting

Morgen (morning) Goedemorgen

Middag (midday) Goedemiddag

Avond (evening) Goedenavond

Nacht (night) Goedenacht

Dag (day) Goedendag

5. PRONUNCIATION
The way Dutch vowels sound depends on whether they are in open or closed syllables. A syllable is
closed if it is in a consonant sandwich (e.g. bed, bed) and it is open if it is not (e.g. ga, go).

Dutch IPA, Notes

A [] (short), like in father. [a:] (long), like in car (Australian/New Zealand English)

B [b], like in bait. At the end of a word: [p]

Dutch IPA, Notes

C [s] or [k] depending on the vowel after the c

D [d], like in duck. At the end of a word: [t]

E [] (short), like in bed. [e:] (long), like in made. [], an uh sound, like again; mostly
at the end of verbs.

F [f], like in feather

G [] / [x], the infamous Dutch sound. It sounds a bit like loch (Scottish English). [g]
(*goal, goal) or [] (bagage, luggage) in loan words

H [], like in behind

I [] (short), like in sit. [i] (long), like in deep

J [j], like in yard

K [k], like in kiss

L [l], like in land

M [m], like in man

N [n], like in neck

O [] (short), like in soft. [o:] (long), roughly like in bone**

P [p], like in pen

Q [k], only in foreign words and loanwords

Dutch IPA, Notes

R [], an uvular trill (rolling r in back of the throat). However, there are more ways to
pronounce the r in Dutch, depending on the place in a word: [] (alveolar
approximant, "tap r"), [r] (alveolar trill, rolling r), and [] (uvular approximant,
German/French r).

S [s], like in sock

T [t], like in tea

U [] (short), roughly like future. [y] (long), roughly like new

V [v], like in very

W [], between wine and vine

X [ks], only in foreign words and loanwords

Y [j], only in foreign words and loanwords

Z [z], like in zip

Dutch IPA, Notes

ch [] / [x], the infamous Dutch sound (again). It sounds a bit like

loch (Scottish English). [] in loanwords, like chocolade and China. Can
also sound like [t], like in check.

ng [], like in long

nj [], like the Spanish

 Dutch IPA, Notes

nk [k], the ng sound followed by a k

sch [s] / [sx] at the beginning of words. At the end of a word, it sounds like [s]

tie [tsi], at the end of words

tj [c], is followed by an e, sounds like cheer

au, [u], like in out

ou

ei, ij [i], roughly like may

eu [], roughly like earth or bird

oe [u], like boot

ui [y], tricky. Roughly like house (Scottish English)

6. These are the irregular verbs:

1. Hebben (to have)

2. Kunnen (can)

3. Mogen (may)

4. Willen (to want)

5. Zijn (to be)

6. Zullen (shall)

The most common of these are Hebben and Zijn, so here are their conjugations in the present tense:

Hebben Zijn

Ik heb Ik ben
 Hebben Zijn

Jij hebt Jij bent

U hebt/U heeft U bent

Hij/Zij/Het heeft Hij/Zij/Het is

Wij hebben Wij zijn

Jullie hebben Jullie zijn

Zij hebben Zij zijn

Geen- not any

Dorst- thirsty

Honger- hungry

Zout-salt

Mens-human

Muis-mouse

Vogel-bird

Hond-dog

Dier-animal

Konijn- rabbit

Schildpad-turtle

Eend- duck

Koe-caw

Uil- owl

Schaap-sheep
Varken-pig

Hert-deer

Gans-goose

Beer- bear