Learn Dutch, a little at a time

Your first six words

Six words you will use from your first day. Tungo's games start with everyday words just like these.

What learning Dutch actually involves

Dutch is one of the easiest languages for an English speaker to read and one of the hardest to end up actually speaking, and the reason has nothing to do with grammar. Written down it is half-guessable on a first look: water is water, boek is book, drinken is to drink. There are no cases to memorise the way German demands, and the verb system is smaller than French or Spanish. On paper it should be quick.

What makes it hard is that nothing forces you to use it. Almost everyone in the Netherlands speaks excellent English and will switch the moment they hear you hesitate, out of pure helpfulness. You can live there for years without ever being pushed into a single Dutch conversation, which is why the people who succeed are the ones who decide early what level they are aiming at and build a small daily routine they can keep. These guides are organised around that: what to learn, in what order, and how to tell when you are there.

Is Dutch hard for English speakers?

Less than most, and the difficulties are a short, known list. Word order is the real one: the verb sits second, and starting a sentence with anything other than the subject pushes the subject behind it. The de and het distinction has no rule worth learning - it is memorised per noun. And a handful of sounds, the g of goed and the ui of huis, need copying rather than reasoning about. Everything else is closer to English than you expect. Knowing those three obstacles in advance makes the first months considerably less discouraging.

How long does it take?

For a motivated adult working at it daily, a functional A2 - enough to handle shops, appointments and the predictable parts of daily life - usually takes six to nine months. B1, the level at which conversation becomes possible and the one most employers mean, is typically eighteen months to two years. Living in the Netherlands shortens both, but only to the extent that you actually speak Dutch rather than merely being surrounded by it. Progress is not linear either: a fast start, a long middle plateau, then it loosens again.

Do you need Dutch to live in the Netherlands?

To get by, no. To work outside the international bubble, to read your own contracts and letters, and to stop being the person everything has to be translated for, yes. There is also a group for whom the question is already settled: permanent residence and citizenship both carry a language requirement, and the civic integration route sets the level for you rather than leaving it to preference. If that is your situation, it is worth checking which exam and which level actually apply to your case before booking any course.

Everything you need to learn Dutch

Start with a roadmap, then dig into grammar, vocabulary, levels, exams and everyday life whenever you need them.

Why learn Dutch with Tungo

Places on your map

Your Journey map in the app passes these places, all somewhere the language is spoken. Learn a little every day, then go and see them for real.