DutchPod101.com Blog

Have you ever heard Het Wilhelmus, the Dutch national anthem? It's one of the oldest anthems in existence, and therefore the lyrics are not always easy to understand, full of old-fashioned words and unusual turns of phrases. It's an anthem of fifteen verses, but mainly the first (and sometimes also the sixth) verse is sung. However, because of the old nature of the Dutch anthem, not all Dutch know the words or understand the meaning. Why is the Spanish king mentioned in the Dutch national anthem? And what about that mention of German blood?  As you can see, the Dutch anthem is not free of controversy, and some people even say that it should be changed. However, although the Dutch don't sing their national anthem very often, when they... Show more

Would you like to study or teach in the Netherlands? Then it might be handy to know the most common Dutch classroom phrases for students and teachers. Whether you're about to join a study program as a foreign student in the Netherlands, start one of those Dutch language courses, or teach in a Dutch school, you will have to learn how to communicate in the classroom.  As a student, it will be handy to know how to address your teachers in Dutch, ask questions, and understand instructions. And as a teacher, you might want to know how to ask questions, give instructions, and, yes, how to discipline your students.From Dutch classroom greetings to Dutch classroom command phrases, you will have to know or understand them. In this guide, you'll... Show more

Going to a restaurant is probably one of the favorite things people do when they are in a foreign country. It's a great way to go out, enjoy some new food and discover a new hip and trendy restaurant. However, when you don't speak the language fluently, the whole experience can be unnecessarily stressful.  How do things work around here? How can I order? And how much should I tip? Knowing the Dutch restaurant vocabulary and phrases is one thing, but learning about the ins and outs of Dutch dining will truly take you to the next level.  In this article, we'll go through the three steps of going to a restaurant in the Netherlands and, for each phase, we'll list the most common Dutch phrases for restaurants, as well as the restaurant... Show more

Did it ever happen to you that you just froze in a Dutch conversation? You went into the conversation with confidence, but in the end, were only able to blurt out a bunch of inarticulate words? Don´t worry about that, it happens to the best. You just need some tips on how to improve your Dutch conversation skills.  You don't need to dive into academic lessons or books to be able to master those conversation skills in Dutch, it doesn't have to be so complicated. You just need to learn some tricks such as reaction words, filler words, or conversation starters.  This guide will teach you how to improve your Dutch speaking skills: it all starts with making your own unique conversation “cheat sheet” with the words and sentences you might... Show more

It's not always easy to start a conversation the right way, let alone in another language. When you're dealing with a foreign language, it’s even more difficult: it’s hard to be spontaneous when you’re nervously looking for your next sentence!  So how to start a conversation in Dutch? Once you are talking to someone, and you're both engaged in an interesting topic, it’s easier to keep it going. But the difficult part is to get it started and find the right conversation starter suited for the context. Luckily DutchPod101 is here to help with this useful "Dutch conversation starters" lesson.  Dutch basic conversation starters depend on the situation: are you in a bar or at a friend’s party? At work or at the university? Maybe you're on... Show more

What is the most common question you will hear as a foreigner in the Netherlands? Yes, that oh-so common question about your nationality. As someone living abroad, you will have the advantage of having that as the perfect ice breaker to start some small talk: someone is bound to ask you where you're from.  This is your time to make a great impression and show your knowledge of the Dutch nationality vocabulary. What would you say about your nationality in Dutch? Saying Ik ben Frans (“I am French”) or Ik kom uit de Verenigde Staten (“I am from the United States”) may not be enough to keep the conversation going.  This is where this guide may come in handy! By learning more vocabulary on nationalities, as well as the related questions... Show more

Are you having trouble making the leap from the beginner to the intermediate level? It can be challenging to go from using simple structures in the present tense to figuring out the more difficult structures you need for expressing complex ideas or subtle feelings.  Don’t worry; help is near. Having access to an extensive set of intermediate Dutch phrases may be the final push that will help you make this leap. And once you’re on the other side, you’ll find a lot of satisfaction in improving your skills and tackling the more challenging aspects of the language.  In this article, we'll have a look at some of the most useful intermediate Dutch phrases and sentence structures. You’ll get practical phrases for a wide variety of... Show more

Effortlessly learning Dutch: It may sound too good to be true, but it is possible.  How?  The solution is really quite simple: Engage in some passive listening.  Instead of cramming endless vocabulary words and grammar rules into your memory, you can just sit back and listen to something that interests you. As is the case with Dutch movies and series, you can use Dutch podcasts to efficiently practice your listening comprehension and improve your language skills. The key here is to listen to podcasts on a regular basis, as this will give you natural exposure to the language every day.  Podcasts are very popular these days as they give you the opportunity to listen to something while doing simple daily tasks (cleaning, cooking,... Show more

How many Dutch phrases do you know? Does it ever feel like you don’t know enough Dutch to handle the different situations that pop up every day?  It can be frustrating not being able to explain or express yourself due to having a limited vocabulary. But having access to an extensive set of basic Dutch phrases for beginners will surely help you feel more confident about using the Dutch language.  Luckily, you don't have to know everything. Learning even a few Dutch beginner phrases will be enough to help you manage yourself in everyday situations and speak with clarity.  In this article, we'll list essential Dutch phrases for beginners that will allow you to communicate in Dutch. We have included greetings, self-introductions,... Show more

Have you been studying Dutch for a while and feel confident in your ability to conquer more advanced Dutch words? It sure takes a lot of dedication and brainpower to master these words, but once you pull it off, you'll find that there’s nothing as rewarding as having fluent conversations with your Dutch-speaking friends, colleagues, or classmates.  In this article, we'll list a wide variety of advanced Dutch vocabulary words. This includes everything from general advanced words to more nuanced terms for the academic, business, medical, and legal spheres. In addition, we’ll introduce you to more sophisticated alternatives to common words that will help you ace your Dutch language exam.  With this advanced Dutch wordlist, you’ll be... Show more