Learn Dutch 🚲

Hallo, hoe gaat het? 👋 ! Here’s our curated content for training your passive understanding of the language.

Instructions (tap to open)

⏰ Time spent here also counts towards your streak.

Language competency consists of active vocabulary, but also passive vocabulary and natural pattern recognition. Train essential listening skills, understand grammar and morphing patterns.

Knowing Basic Phrases allows you to stay in the language instead of switching to English. Listening-Reading videos is a comfortable yet intense training of your listening skills. It also allows you to explore the country through videos.

If you want to really be comfortable, have lessons. What makes Lingophant unique is that you can create your 100% personalised vocabulary from conversations. 45 minutes per week with a friend or a teacher is already enough input for a constant stream of engaging sentences to practice between lessons.

📔 Basic Phrases

These phrases are the perfect point of departure for serious learners. They help you stay in the language, without needing to switch to English. And you internalize patterns.

Unlock them one-by-one in the app, and memorize them from the “Practice” tab.

Basic Phrases — 16 phrases
Introductions — 21 phrases
Useful Reactions — 26 phrases
Clarifications — 18 phrases
Learning Languages — 20 phrases
Interests and Opinions — 24 phrases
Travel Phrases — 21 phrases
Small Talk — 22 phrases
Politeness — 9 phrases

This is just to get you started. For personalized phrases, we recommend sessions of 45 minutes with a native speaker.

  • Know 300 phrases and you can make jokes and impress people
  • Know 600 phrases and you can hold basic conversations
  • Know 1000 phrases and you start communicating effortlessly

And because of working with audio, you’ll get compliments on your pronunciation a lot. We promise!

🎧 Train your listening skills with proper documentaries

We have selected enjoyable documentaries and reportage channels. Watch them, listen to the language, and build a natural intuition. Some polyglots swear by this method — 30 minutes a day builds working proficiency.

NOS op 3 (599k subs)

NOS op 3 (view channel) – NOS op 3 geeft uitleg bij het nieuws, in duidelijke taal. Doen we hier op YouTube, maar ook op Insta, TikTok en in de podcast Lang verhaal kort.

AVROTROS (512k subs)

AVROTROS (view channel) – AVROTROS maakt cultuur toegankelijk voor iedere Nederlander, van jong tot oud. Samen zingen we mee met de liedjes in Beste Zangers, leven we mee met de kandidaten van Op zoek naar…, lachen we om de grappen in Dit Was Het Nieuws, beleven we gezamenlijk het Muziekfeest op het Plein en juichen we voor ‘onze’ artiest op het (Junior) Eurovisie Songfestival.

Nieuwsuur (337k subs)

Nieuwsuur (view channel) – We onderzoeken. We vragen door. We laten zien. We geven verdieping en context. We controleren de macht. Respectvol en kritisch. Bij Nieuwsuur zie je indringende verhalen die je raken en aan het denken zetten. Je weet niet alleen wat er gebeurt, maar ook hoe en waarom. Verslaggevers en redacteuren graven diep om de waarheid te onthullen. Je ontdekt verschillende invalshoeken en hoort nieuwe opvattingen. Zo blijf jij kritisch kijken naar de wereld om je heen.

NOS (326k subs)

NOS (view channel) – De NOS is de grootste nieuwsorganisatie van Nederland. Grote nieuwsgebeurtenissen kan je hier LIVE volgen. En elke vrijdagmiddag een nieuw RONDJE BINNENHOF, onze politieke YouTube-serie rondom de formatie. Mis niets en abonneer je op ons YouTube-kanaal.

RTL Nieuws (185k subs)

RTL Nieuws (view channel) – Breaking nieuws en de laatste ontwikkelingen. Het verhaal achter de headlines uitgelegd, de persoonlijke verhalen van mensen in het nieuws en reportages van correspondenten over de hele wereld. Abonneer je nu om op de hoogte te blijven.

vpro (170k subs)

vpro (view channel) – VPRO: Mediaplatform voor spraakmakende, originele verhalen en ideeën die de wereld verrijken.

KRO-NCRV (124k subs)

KRO-NCRV (view channel) – We zoeken samen naar betekenis in een wereld vol vragen. Met verhalen die raken, verbinden en je met een open blik laten kijken naar hoe we samenleven. Samen gaan we zo op zoek naar de zin van morgen. Maak morgen mee. KRO-NCRV.

VPRO Tegenlicht (108k subs)

VPRO Tegenlicht (view channel) – Welcome to the real world.

Andere Tijden (106k subs)

Andere Tijden (view channel) – Andere Tijden, het geschiedenisprogramma over (bijna) vergeten gebeurtenissen uit de recente geschiedenis. Andere Tijden wordt gemaakt door de NTR voor NPO 2. Check anderetijden.nl voor de hele afleveringen.

VRT NWS (105k subs)

VRT NWS (view channel) – Meer van onze video’s zien? Abonneer je.

EenVandaag (42k subs)

EenVandaag (view channel) – Wij geven je de achtergronden bij het nieuws – op tv, radio en online. Met analyses, uitleg en verhalen die dichtbij mensen staan.

BNNVARA (40k subs)

BNNVARA (view channel) – Dit is het officiële YouTube-kanaal van BNNVARA.

VRT CANVAS (22k subs)

VRT CANVAS (view channel) – Vroeg of laat kijk je VRT CANVAS

2Doc (5k subs)

2Doc (view channel) – De Nederlandse documentairewebsite van de NPO.

NPO Kennis (4k subs)

NPO Kennis (view channel) – NPO Kennis is hét kennisplatform voor iedereen die wil weten hoe het zit. We geven heldere antwoorden op vragen die bij je opkomen over actuele kwesties. Of zaken die aansluiten op je persoonlijke leven. We hopen dat onze antwoorden je helpen het nieuws en de wereld om je heen beter te begrijpen.

BOOS (1.02m subs)

BOOS (view channel) – BOOS is een online onderzoeksplatform van BNNVARA. Wij maken verhalen over onrecht in de breedste zin van het woord; van oplichters opsporen tot CEO’s bevragen, en van leugenaars ontmaskeren tot politici aan de tand voelen. Waar nodig roepen wij macht ter verantwoording, altijd met de feiten voorop.

VICE Nederland (176k subs)

VICE Nederland (view channel) – Welkom bij VICE Nederland. We steken onze neus in allerlei onderbelichte zaken, zodat jij dat niet hoeft te doen. Je vindt hier een breed scala aan prachtdocumentaires, kwaliteitsjournalistiek en verderf van eigen bodem. Kijk gerust wat rond.

Omroep Gelderland (133k subs)

Omroep Gelderland (view channel) – Welkom op het YouTube-kanaal van Omroep Gelderland! Hier vind je video’s over nieuws, misdaad, entertainment en evenementen uit Gelderland.

Danny Ghosen (111k subs)

Danny Ghosen (view channel) – Op dit kanaal vind je alle series van Danny Ghosen van PowNed, VPRO & NTR. In de reportages van Danny gaat hij op zoek naar waar het wringt in de wereld. Hij praat met mensen die moeilijk toegankelijk zijn en tot nu toe onzichtbaar waren voor het grote publiek, mensen die de grens opzoeken of daar overheen zijn gegaan of mensen die zich buitengesloten voelen.

🎧 Train listening with weird popular YouTube videos

It’s like zapping TV through another linguistic and cultural universe. Watch what native speakers watch. We hope you find something interesting.

🧑‍🏫 Grammar overview in 9 chapters

Below is an overview of the most important grammar topics. Each chapter has a short explanation and recommended videos.

While memorizing phrases, you’ll likely recognize patterns from grammar. You can add a note or question to a card and get it answered next time you’re with a teacher.

De & Het: Dutch Articles A1

Dutch has two definite articles: ‘de’ and ‘het’. ‘De’ is used with common-gender nouns (originally masculine and feminine), and ‘het’ is used with neuter nouns. For example, ‘de man’ (the man) and ‘het huis’ (the house). Unfortunately there is no simple rule that predicts which article a noun takes, so the article must be learned together with each noun. The indefinite article ‘een’ (a/an) is the same for all nouns, which makes it easier to start speaking right away.

The best strategy is to always learn every new noun with its article as a fixed chunk — treat ‘de tafel’ and ‘het boek’ as single units rather than two separate words. In the app, pay attention to the article each time a new noun appears. Getting ‘de’ vs ‘het’ right matters practically because it affects adjective endings and pronoun choice later on, so building the habit early saves a lot of effort. Once you internalise the article with each noun, you will be able to refer to things around you naturally and set yourself up for more advanced grammar patterns.

Word Order: Verb in Second Position A1

Dutch follows a V2 (verb-second) rule in main clauses: the finite verb must always be the second element in the sentence, no matter what comes first. If you start with the subject, the order is normal — ‘Ik drink koffie’ (I drink coffee). But if you start with a time expression or other element, the subject and verb flip: ‘Morgen drink ik koffie’ (Tomorrow I drink coffee). This inversion surprises many English speakers because English does not do this. The key insight is that ‘second element’ means second grammatical chunk, not second word.

A practical trick is to think of the finite verb as sitting in a fixed ‘slot 2’ box — whatever you put in front of it, the verb stays in that box and the subject jumps behind it. When listening to Dutch, use this rule to quickly identify the verb and the main topic of any sentence. Once you master V2 word order, your sentences will immediately sound more natural to Dutch ears, and you will be able to confidently rearrange sentences to add emphasis or link ideas — a skill used constantly in everyday conversation.

Present Tense Verb Conjugation A1

Dutch present-tense conjugation is simpler than it first appears. Most verbs follow a regular pattern based on the verb stem (the infinitive minus ‘-en’). The first-person singular uses the bare stem: ‘ik werk’ (I work). Second and third person singular add ‘-t’: ‘jij werkt’, ‘hij werkt’. Plural forms use the full infinitive: ‘wij werken’. One important exception: when ‘jij’ or ‘je’ comes after the verb (inversion), the ‘-t’ is dropped — ‘werk jij?’ not ‘werkt jij?’. Common irregular verbs like ‘zijn’ (to be), ‘hebben’ (to have), and ‘gaan’ (to go) need to be memorised separately.

Focus first on mastering ‘zijn’ and ‘hebben’ since they appear in almost every conversation and also form the basis of past tenses. For regular verbs, practise finding the stem by removing ‘-en’ — watch out for spelling rules like doubling consonants (e.g., ‘stoppen’ → stem ‘stop’). With a solid grasp of present-tense conjugation, you will be able to talk about your daily routines, describe people and things, ask questions, and understand the vast majority of everyday Dutch sentences.

Personal Pronouns: Subject & Object Forms A1

Dutch personal pronouns have two sets: stressed and unstressed forms, plus distinct subject and object cases. The subject pronouns are ‘ik, jij/je, hij/zij/ze/het, wij/we, jullie, zij/ze’. The object pronouns are ‘mij/me, jou/je, hem, haar, ons, jullie, hen/hun/ze’. The stressed forms (jij, mij, jou) are used for emphasis or contrast, while the unstressed forms (je, me) are what you hear most in fast, natural speech. ‘U’ is the formal ‘you’, used with strangers, elderly people, or in professional settings.

Train your ear to the unstressed forms first, since those dominate real conversation — you will hear ‘ze’ far more often than ‘zij’ or ‘hen’. A good technique is to listen to phrases on the app and notice which pronoun form is used and why. Mastering pronouns lets you refer to people and objects without repeating nouns, making your speech flow naturally, and helps you follow conversations where speakers constantly switch between ‘hij’, ‘ze’, and ‘het’ to refer to things already mentioned.

  • Dutch PRONOUNS for OBJECTS // Voornaamwoorden // Dutch for BEGINNERS les 19 (NT2 – A1) – Dutchies to be – Learn Dutch with Kim: A well-structured A1-level Dutch lesson specifically covering object pronouns with clear explanations and examples, backed by strong viewership proving its effectiveness for beginners.
  • Dutch Round 1 : personal pronouns – Dutch Round 1: Covers Dutch subject pronouns in detail including the stressed/unstressed distinctions (jij/je, wij/we, zij/ze) and formal vs informal usage, with a clear timestamped structure ideal for beginners.
  • Dutch Lesson #08 | Object Pronouns – TomCatchesUp: A concise, well-sourced 7-minute lesson dedicated entirely to Dutch object pronouns, including the tricky hen/hun distinction, making it a solid complement to a subject pronoun lesson.

Past Tense: The Perfect with Hebben & Zijn A2

Dutch speakers most commonly express past events using the present perfect tense (voltooid tegenwoordige tijd) rather than a simple past, especially in spoken language. It is formed with a helper verb — either ‘hebben’ or ‘zijn’ — plus a past participle. The past participle of regular verbs is built with the prefix ‘ge-‘ plus the stem plus ‘-d’ or ‘-t’: ‘gewerkt’ (worked), ‘gespeeld’ (played). The choice between ‘hebben’ and ‘zijn’ depends on the verb: motion or change-of-state verbs typically take ‘zijn’ (e.g., ‘Ik ben gegaan’ — I went), while most others take ‘hebben’ (e.g., ‘Ik heb gegeten’ — I ate).

A useful memory hook for ‘zijn’ verbs is the acronym SOFT VAMP: verbs of motion and change of state (worden, zijn, blijven, gaan, komen, etc.) tend to use ‘zijn’. Also note that past participles go to the very end of the clause — ‘Ik heb gisteren een film gezien’ (I watched a film yesterday) — which mirrors the general Dutch rule of pushing extra verbs to the end. Once you crack this tense, you unlock the ability to tell stories, share experiences, and talk about your day — essential skills for any real conversation.

Adjective Endings: When to Add -e A2

In Dutch, adjectives change their form depending on whether they precede a ‘de’-word or a ‘het’-word, and whether the noun is definite or indefinite. The core rule: add ‘-e’ to the adjective in almost all cases — ‘de grote hond’ (the big dog), ‘het grote huis’ (the big house), ‘een grote hond’. The main exception is an adjective before an indefinite singular ‘het’-noun: ‘een groot huis’ (a big house), where no ‘-e’ is added. This single exception is the one pattern worth memorising carefully.

A quick mental test: ask yourself ‘Is this a het-word after een (or no article)?’ — if yes, drop the ‘-e’; otherwise, always add it. Because you already learned nouns with their articles (de/het), you can apply this rule immediately. Getting adjective endings right makes your Dutch sound polished and avoids the slightly jarring effect that missing or wrong endings can have on native speakers. You will be able to describe people, places, and objects with natural-sounding detail in both spoken and written Dutch.

Modal Verbs: Kunnen, Willen, Moeten & More A2

Dutch modal verbs — ‘kunnen’ (can/be able to), ‘willen’ (want to), ‘moeten’ (must/have to), ‘mogen’ (may/be allowed to), ‘zullen’ (shall/will), and ‘hoeven’ (need to, usually with ‘niet’) — work similarly to English modals. They are conjugated in the present tense and are followed by a bare infinitive that moves to the end of the clause: ‘Ik kan morgen komen’ (I can come tomorrow), ‘Hij moet werken’ (He has to work). Their past forms are built using the simple past (imperfect) rather than the perfect, which is an exception to the general preference for the perfect tense.

Because modal verbs are extremely frequent in everyday requests, offers, obligations, and plans, learning even their basic present-tense forms immediately expands what you can express. Chunk them with common infinitives from the app — phrases like ‘Ik wil graag…’, ‘Kun jij…?’, and ‘Je moet…’ will cover a huge range of social situations. With modals, you will be able to make polite requests, express needs and wishes, give and ask for permission, and talk about future plans — all core functions of daily conversation.

Subordinate Clauses: Verb Goes to the End B1

When a clause is introduced by a subordinating conjunction — such as ‘omdat’ (because), ‘dat’ (that), ‘als’ (if/when), ‘toen’ (when, past), ‘terwijl’ (while), or ‘zodat’ (so that) — the finite verb moves to the very end of that clause. Compare: ‘Hij werkt’ (He works) vs. ‘Ik weet dat hij werkt’ (I know that he works). If there are multiple verbs, they cluster at the end in a specific order. This is one of the most noticeable structural differences from English and is used constantly in connected speech and writing.

A practical approach is to learn a handful of high-frequency conjunctions as triggers for ‘verb-final mode’ — once you spot ‘omdat’, ‘dat’, or ‘als’, immediately expect the verb at the end. Listening to the app phrases and noticing where verbs land in longer sentences will build this intuition quickly. Mastering subordinate clause order is a major fluency milestone: it lets you give reasons, express conditions, report what others said, and build complex, natural-sounding sentences instead of stringing together short simple ones.

Separable Verbs: Prefixes That Split Off B1

Many Dutch verbs are made up of a base verb plus a prefix — such as ‘opbellen’ (to call up/phone), ‘meenemen’ (to take along), ‘aanzetten’ (to turn on), or ‘uitleggen’ (to explain). In a main clause, these verbs split apart: the prefix detaches and moves to the very end of the clause, while the conjugated base verb stays in second position. So ‘Ik bel haar op’ (I call her up) — not ‘Ik opbel haar’. In subordinate clauses, the verb reassembles at the end: ‘omdat ik haar opbel’. In the infinitive and past participle, ‘ge-‘ is inserted between prefix and stem: ‘opgebeld’.

The best way to learn separable verbs is to notice the prefix when you encounter a new verb in the app and mark it mentally as ‘separable’ — a split icon or different colour in your notes can help. Listen for the dangling prefix at the end of sentences; once you know to expect it, you will stop misunderstanding where sentences end. Understanding separable verbs is key to not getting lost mid-sentence in Dutch conversation, and producing them correctly makes your speech sound fluent and natural rather than textbook-stiff.