I’m excited to announce that I’ve recently finished and published a brand-new Dutch A1 course on Lingora! This course is designed to give beginners the best way to learn Dutch in 2024, offering everything from vocabulary to grammar to sentence structures. But what makes Dutch so unique, and why was it fun for me to develop this course? Let’s take a closer look.
Dutch: Similar Yet Simpler
As a Germanic language, Dutch shares many similarities with German, but it’s much easier to learn. For instance, Dutch has three grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter), but it simplifies things by using only two articles — de for common gender and het for neuter. This is easier to remember than the more complex gender system in, say, German or Polish.
Another fun challenge I worked on in this course is Dutch’s distinction between stressed and unstressed pronouns. Learners get to practice when to use full pronouns like jij and when to switch to the reduced form je. The choice between jij and je depends on emphasis. Jij is the stressed form, used when emphasizing the subject, such as when contrasting or focusing on someone’s actions (e.g., Jij gaat naar school, "It's YOU that is going to school" with emphasis on "you"). Je, on the other hand, is the unstressed form, typically used in more normal conversation when the subject doesn’t need emphasis, or the object is more interesting: Je gaat naar school, "You’re going to school".
Download the Dutch Course Today
If you’re looking for the best way to learn Dutch in 2024, this course is the perfect place to start. You can now access Lingora’s Dutch A1 course on both the Play Store and App Store.
Learning Dutch with Lingora
Like all of Lingora’s courses, the Dutch A1 course is structured around units that break down sentences word by word. Learners can tap on words to see their meanings, base forms, and relevant grammar topics, making the learning experience interactive and informative. Dutch grammar can be tricky at first — like its use of er as a placeholder subject — but with Lingora’s detailed explanations, you’ll master these elements in no time.
Lingora’s signature approach helps you understand not just the words, but the grammar and structure behind the sentences. Whether it’s using strong verbs, learning word order, or mastering the famously tricky Dutch pronunciation (looking at you, g sound), this course provides all the tools needed for success.