The Dutch language (sometimes called Dutch) can be called one of the most interesting among Europeans. It belongs to the group of Germanic languages, originating from the Proto-Germanic language of the Indo-European language group. Dutch carries the features of many modern languages, but at the same time remains quite original.

1. About 23 million people speak Dutch. As a result, it occupies the 8th place in terms of prevalence among Europeans and is among the 40 most common in the world. Approximately 17 million native speakers of this language live in the Netherlands. And the rest - in other European countries, as well as Suriname, the Antilles and Aruba. Communities of people who speak Dutch can be found in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries.

2. Dutch is characterized by the presence of hundreds of dialects. The same language used for education, media and business correspondence is the "standard" or "exemplary" language (Standaardnederlands). Its development is monitored by the Dutch Language Union (Nederlandse Taalunie). However, in Flanders the influence of local dialects is so great that the standard language here differs markedly from that used in other areas. Sometimes it is even called the Flemish language.

3. The structure of the Dutch language is well described by a playful proverb, according to which "Dutch appeared when a drunken German began to speak English." And indeed, a lot of words resemble English, others -. Even the grammar seems to have been taken by parts from these languages. At the same time, there are many distinctive features. For example, double vowels are extremely common in Dutch: gemeente, vaal, gaan, doorn.

4. Due to its similarity with other languages, the Dutch language was even put forward once for the role. However, the theory, as not having any scientific facts as its basis, was quickly rejected.

5. Nevertheless, at one time the Dutch language had the opportunity to become global, as English is today. After all, the colonies of the little Netherlands in the seventeenth century occupied vast territories. Plus, this country traded literally with the whole world. There are still people living in Indonesia who use the Dutch language.

6. The result of this prevalence was that Dutch became the basis for many languages. Thus, the Afrikaans used today in South Africa and Namibia (about 10 million speakers) is its direct successor, and until 1925 it was even considered a dialect. Also in Asian countries, for some time Creole languages ​​were used, which were based on the Dutch language. Most of them have already died out.

7. Dutch began to take shape around the 5th century AD. The oldest text found to date, written in one of the oldest dialects of this language, dates back to 1100. It is absolutely impossible for a modern carrier to read it. The first literary works in Dutch began to appear in the 13th century. Around the same time, this language began to displace French and Latin in the territories where the modern Netherlands are located. Teaching in Dutch began in 1797 at the University of Leiden.

8. In English Dutch will be "Dutch". Because of this, other translators often confuse, translating this word as "Danish". Given that the correct name for the Danish language is "Danish". Such a mistake, unfortunately, can often be seen in many modern books.

9. The most commonly used sound is "X", as in the Russian word "spit". The degree of its severity depends on the dialect, the further south, the softer the pronunciation. Not only the letter "H" is read this way, but also "G" and "CH". An excellent example of the prevalence of the sound "X" is the phrase "achtentachtig prachtige grachten" ( "eighty-eight wonderful channels") - it reads approximately like "akhtentakhtekh prakhtihe khrakhten".

10. There is no "Y" in the modern Dutch alphabet. It is perfectly replaced by the digraph "ij", which is read as a cross between "ay" and "yay". As for the letter "y", it can only be found in borrowings and obsolete spellings. Also, in some cases, "ij" is changed to "y" deliberately to make it easier for foreigners to read. A classic example is the name of the automobile company Spyker, which was founded by Dutch entrepreneurs with the surname Spijker.

11. Many students of the Dutch language are surprised by the abundance of diminutives that the inhabitants of the Netherlands use in everyday speech (and not only in it). There is a theory according to which this is done in order to simplify. The fact is that in Dutch there are two articles - "het" and "de" - the rules for using which are rather vague and confusing. In the case of diminutives, the article is always the same - “het”. Naturally, this approach is not suitable for a literary or business language.

12. There are a lot of borrowings from Dutch in Russian. Typical examples: stoel - a chair; broek - trousers ( diphthong "oe" reads like "y"); oester - oyster. A lot of words also came from the marine theme: yacht, clipper, admiral, sailor, raid, hold and many others. Most of these borrowings came into the Russian language during the time of Peter I.

P.S. Although the territory of the Netherlands is small and is 41,526 sq. km (132nd place in the world), in this country there was enough space for several languages. In addition to Dutch, the state also includes Frisian, which is widespread in the province of Friesland, where about 450,000 people speak it, using it mainly in everyday life.

Rose Peters (Roos Pieterse), a certified linguist, agreed to help me, an employee of Boom Publishers Amsterdam, which also publishes Dutch textbooks for foreigners. Rose knows exactly who, when and which Dutch exams to take ( and, as you will see below, something is constantly changing in this area) and is well versed in the difficulties faced by people who begin to learn a language. And, of course, I could not help but use it :)

This is what my "library" of Dutch textbooks looks like. Left to right: book Nederlandsvoorbuitenlanders, textbooksDe opmaat and De sprong,plus a set to prepare for the basic examNaarNederland . Let's find out which of them will be useful to me the most!

Learn Dutch before coming to Holland

Anastasia: Often people planning to move to Holland begin to learn the language in their homeland, because many need to get it. At the same time, you can not find a Dutch teacher in every city. How would you recommend starting to learn a language in such a situation?

Rose: The best way to start learning Dutch is to just start! It may sound trite, but starting to learn a language is always difficult, especially for adults. And here it is necessary, firstly, to gather strength, and secondly, to find suitable materials.

There are actually many Dutch textbooks, and it can be difficult for you to figure out which ones are right for you. Many books are recommended to be used as part of a training course, when the teacher can explain the material further and give feedback.

But there are plenty of books out there that work just fine. tutorials. One of the best methods for learning Dutch on your own is called the Delft method ( delftse methode). This is a well-known technique that has been successfully used for more than 25 years. Her main "trick" is that she teaches colloquial Dutch.

The Delft technique is very practical, unconventional and effective. Many tutorials are based on it. First of all, this is a series of books (Dutch for foreigners). All of these books come with CDs containing audio material to help you learn the language faster.

The next books in this series are titled Tweederonde(second stage) and Derderonde(Third stage).

If you find it difficult to immediately “get involved” in the process of learning a language, you can start with books Basic cursus 1 and 2 (Basic course 1 and 2) and then go to the green book Nederlandsvoorbuitenlanders. By the way, this book is also available as a mobile application, which is very convenient for those who spend the day in constant motion. Download the application and you will have the full course on your phone or tablet, and you can learn the language at any time, even if you do not have an Internet connection.

Anastasia: It sounds good! But for some reason, some people manage to quickly learn a new language, while others do not. Surely, you have seen more than one hundred foreigners starting to learn Dutch. What, in your experience, contributes to success, and what, on the contrary, becomes a mistake?

Rose: Here are perhaps the two most important tips that help you succeed:

1. Always remember your goal! It's simple: in order to achieve the goal, you need to formulate it very clearly for yourself. And then move towards it and realize that you are getting closer and closer to the desired result.
2. Chat! Yes, it can be tricky while you are still in your home country. But you may be able to find people to talk to online or elsewhere. The Delft method itself is built on communication, and if you use it, you will quickly move forward.

At the same time, one of the typical mistakes is that people who study Dutch stop there too quickly. For example, after completing a self-study course Nederlands voor buitenlanders, you will advance from level zero to A2. Yes, this is enough to pass the integration exam. But it's still baseline. And if you plan to live in Holland, then knowing the language at a good conversational level will greatly simplify both your everyday and business communication. That is why it is important to constantly improve your language.

Dutch for integration and everyday life

Anastasia: Yes, I - and I think most of those who came to live in Holland - are all for it! How would you recommend doing this?

Rose A: After you have passed the basic exam (basisexamen), you are allowed to stay in the Netherlands for three years. But then you have to integrate into Dutch society and pass additional exams. And for this you need, firstly, to learn Dutch, and secondly, to understand how people live and work here. You have three years to study all this. This is how long the so-called “integration period” lasts, during which you need to pass the next exam.

Anastasia: Which Exams must be taken within three years after obtaining a residence permit, and how best to prepare for them?

Rose: During the integration period, you can take three exams to choose from(each of them, in turn, consists of several modules/parts):

• Integration Exam
• State exam NT2, program I (NT2-I)
• State exam NT2, program II (NT2-II)

NT2 stands for "Nederlands als tweede taal", meaning "Dutch as a second (foreign) language".

Again, you have three years to pass one of the three exams. Of course, most people want to close the issue with exams as soon as possible. Then they decide to pass the simplest exam - integration. They pass, and then they realize that they would like to get an education in Holland. And for this you need a certificate of passing the state exam NT2! That is why it is better in advance, as soon as you arrive in Holland, to think about your plans for the future - and based on this, choose the exam that you should pass.

• language module(it consists of reading, listening, writing and speaking exams). The difference between the three exams is the level of language you need to pass. So, to pass the integration exam, level A2 is enough. The NT2-I exam requires level B1, while the NT2-II requires level B2.

• KNM(examination of knowledge of the Dutch society)
• ONA(examination of knowledge of the Dutch labor market).

note that this information only applies to those who obtained their first Dutch residence permit after 1 January 2015. For those who have done this before, the old integration rules apply.

To prepare for each of the exams, you can choose different textbooks:

• Books to prepare for integration exam– Op weg , Onderweg , Basiscursus 1 , Basiscursus 2

But keep in mind that not all of these books are suitable for self-study. This applies in particular to the books De opmaat, De sprong, Vooruit! , in which there are many exercises designed for the fact that students will communicate in groups or in pairs.

I chose books for myselfDeopmaatandDespringand, as you can see from the bookmarks, I have already begun to study the first one :)

Until I enrolled in a language school and try to study at home using the materials of the site

You can also visit www.blikopwerk.nl to find other schools closer to your home.

Anastasia: What else is important to consider when choosing a language course?

Rose: Here, firstly, it is very important to choose a course that suits your level. If you go to a more difficult course from the very beginning, then there is a good chance that you will not feel that you are moving forward - and this will greatly demotivate you. And secondly, make sure that you like the teacher and that it is convenient to get to the language school. In some schools, you can sign up for a free trial lesson - and see if you have found "your" course or if you should keep looking.

Learning Dutch pronunciation

Anastasia: To be honest, the most difficult thing for me to learn Dutch was pronunciation. I think many foreigners will agree with me :) What can help in this situation?

Rose: Indeed, many adults find it difficult to master a foreign language, especially if it is very different from their native language. After all, it is important not only to master grammar and vocabulary, but also to learn new sounds and “melodies” of a new language.

Russian-speaking people, as a rule, are not easily given the sounds H-G, -t at the end of the word, as well as the neutral vowel [ə] (unstressed /e/, aka seam).

And here it is important not only to learn how to pronounce them, but also to catch the difference in sound! If you are working on your pronunciation, then I can recommend an app for smartphones and tablets SpreekBeter designed just for this purpose.

You can also find a volunteer who can teach you Dutch (in this case you need to look for taalcoach). Helping foreigners learn a language is a common practice in the Netherlands. So you can easily find such people in different cities. As a rule, volunteers work with foreigners for about 1.5 hours a week, and such lessons are very helpful in quickly mastering all the nuances of pronunciation.

Good luck with learning Dutch! Questions? Ask in the comments!

update: I recently found LearnDutch.org, which for me personally has become the best site for self-learning Dutch. Lots of free videos to learn words. an excellent grammar course (you can watch 1 lesson a week for free, it will be sent to your e-mail every Saturday, or you can buy the entire course for 39 euros). Everything is clear, understandable, with humor - in general, so that studying seems not a burden, but a pleasure. I sincerely recommend!

And stay connected!

When we went to study and work in Holland, we encountered a new language for us - Dutch. We were more or less fluent in English, studies and communication with colleagues also went on in English, so at first we did not even seriously think about learning Dutch. Gradually, we came to understand that knowledge of the language will allow us to better "join" the Dutch society, to understand what people are talking about on the streets, to move from the category of "foreigner" to the category of "a little bit of our own".

Language is the key to communication, in principle, you can live in Holland for several years and communicate in English all the time, you will not feel any difficulties - most of the locals are fluent in English, and some in several other languages. But if you want to get a long-term residence permit / citizenship, you will have to pass a language exam. It seems very difficult, especially when you first hear these wheezing sounds, vaguely reminiscent of a German who has caught a cold, speaking with an English aftertaste.

The Dutch language is more complicated than English, although it is very similar in structure. Not surprising, because this is a Romano-Germanic group of languages. The pronunciation of Dutch sounds requires tension in the throat, which is not typical for Russian or English speech. Tenses, word order and other basic principles of the mail language are no different from English, German, French or Spanish. Learning the Dutch language is the same as any other European language - we gain vocabulary, study temporary constructions and practice.

When I asked the Dutch, what do they think is the easiest way to learn Dutch? Where to begin? We were advised to go the same way that Dutch children learn their native language - on children's books, fairy tales. They have a simple and understandable language, a lot of pictures, you can study the initial base. As an example of a good book for beginners, it was advised to take the world-famous children's tale about Jip en Janneke (Jip and Janneke). The original is written in Dutch, but there are translations into many languages ​​of the world, including Russian (Sasha and Masha) and English.

On the Internet you can find the original on request jip and janneke pdf and the Russian version via Wikipedia (type Schmidt, Annie).

Let's practice a little to get a whiff of the Dutch language:

Het egeltje is wakker - The hedgehog woke up (Het echelsi from wakke)

zegt Jip - said Yip (szeh Zip)

Pas op! — Watch out! (Pass op)

Hoe gaat het? - How are you? (At the hut?)

Waar is supermarkt? - Where is the supermarket? (Var is supermarket?)

Bedankt - Thank you (Bedant)

Alsjeblieft - Please (Ashublift)

Goedemorgen - Good morning (Khudemorhe)

Dutch is used as the state language in countries such as Holland and Belgium.

The Dutch language has several varieties, such as:

• Dutch, used in the west of the Netherlands,
• Flemish, used in Belgium,
• and Afrikaans, which is spoken in South Africa.

Differences between them exist only in phonetics, while in grammar and vocabulary the difference is not significant.

The price of group and individual lessons

• Tuition is calculated per month (8 lessons - 16 academic hours).
• The intensity of group lessons is 2 times a week, each lesson lasts 90 minutes.
• Departure of the teacher is included in the price.

The price of corporate training in Dutch

Drawing up an individual class schedule for organizations: you determine the days, time, place and intensity of training according to your preferences.

The price is per group.

Teachers (tutors)

Daria Olegovna teacher of the Dutch (Dutch) language

• 2014-2016 Moscow State University. Lomonosov, Faculty of Philology, specialty "Russian as a foreign language";
• 2010-2014 St. Petersburg State University, Faculty of Philology, specialty "Germanic languages: Dutch language";
• 2009-2010 St. Petersburg State University, Faculty of Sociology, specialty "Youth Sociology and Youth Policy";
• February 2013 – July 2013 internship at UniversiteitvanAntwerpen, Belgium, Faculty of Literature and Philosophy;
• July-August 2012 internship at DeOrdevandenPrince, the Netherlands;
• Advanced Dutch language level, CNaVTPAT certificate;

Alena Marenkova - Dutch language teacher

• Education: MSLU im. Maurice Thorez, Faculty of Translation, qualification - linguist-translator (2013).
• Internship at a higher school in Ghent (Belgium, 2010).
• Academic Dutch Certificate (Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal, Profiel Academisch Taalvaardigheid) (2013).
• Certificate of completion of the summer courses of the Dutch language and culture in Zeist (Certificaat Zomercursus Nederlandse Taal en Cultuur) (Netherlands, 2012.)

The program of the course "Dutch"

Level	Number of academic hours	Grammar	Vocabulary
1	60	Personal pronouns, article, verb conjugation in present. vr., interrogative sentences, prepositions, possessive pronouns, object pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, conjugation of the verb in the perfect, verbs with separable prefixes, reflexive verbs, negation.	Acquaintance, holidays, shopping, transport, free time, housing, health, appearance and character, work and study.
2	54	Verb tenses: present, perfect, imperfect, pluperfect, future tense. Degrees of comparison of adjectives.	Study and work, society, environment, politics, art, the Netherlands.
3	42	Repetition of tenses, passive voice, modal verbs, imperative mood, indirect speech, future tense in the past.	Media, study, internships and work, healthcare, environmental protection.
4	54	Repetition of the entire grammar: tenses of the verb, sentence structure, particle er, negation.	Leisure time, transport, nature and man, economy, climate, contemporary problems, political situation in the Netherlands

Video Dutch teacher Daria Olegovna

Lesson Feedback

Video message from a professional teacher Elena Galysheva

• Graduated from Moscow State University in 2009;
• Completed an internship at the University of Amsterdam (Universiteit van Amsterdam, Faculteit der Geesteswetenschappen);
• there are 4 certificates;
• Profiel Touristische en Informele Taalvaardigheid;
• Profiel Maatschappelijke Taalvaardigheid;
• Profiel Professionele Taalvaardigheid;
• Profiel Academische Taalvaardigheid;
• Dutch teacher.

Dutch for beginners from scratch

Since the study of the Dutch language is not widespread in the world, the question arises, where and how to learn Dutch in Moscow? You can choose a Dutch tutor or enroll in courses at a language centre.

On the Dutch courses in the Master Class center, located in the city of Moscow, you can study and get acquainted with all the features of colloquial speech. At various stages of study, in our courses, their students will be able to learn the Dutch language in the field of phonetics, grammar and vocabulary. With our Dutch courses, you will be able to listen, communicate on various topics, read various types of texts, and correspond on various topics. In our company, Dutch language courses are conducted using modern highly effective methods.

For beginners, the Dutch language seems quite difficult, but in our courses you will quickly doubt it. Special groups learning Dutch from scratch, learn using the latest methods and easily understand the speech of native speakers at the end of the course and can talk freely on general topics.

Foreign language courses Master Class offer several training programs for Dutch courses:

• general Dutch course;
• Dutch for beginners from scratch;
• intensive study;
• business Dutch course;
• conversation course;
• a course to improve your Dutch language skills.

The duration of each level of study is 48 academic hours (3 months).

At the end of the program, a certificate is issued indicating the course and the number of hours.

Teaching the Dutch (Dutch) language provides for a set of aspects:

• Grammar
• Phonetics
• Speech practice
• Reading
• listening

Photos during individual training

With individual training, the methodology is built according to your wishes.

The Dutch courses are designed in such a way that the main focus is on language practice. The main task in learning the Dutch language, our teachers see is to teach the listener to use the living language correctly. We teach Dutch according to the program developed by the specialists of the Master Class center, designed to ensure that ourthe Dutch language course was interesting for both adults and children. The course is designed for those who already have language skills, as well as Dutch classes for beginners. In order for you to learn Dutch effectively, you can choose group or individual lessons. And also for teaching the Dutch language, you will be provided with a variety of teaching aids, video and audio materials.

Example Lesson

The basic Dutch language course (acquisition of communication and speech perception skills, as well as preparation for the exam at the embassy) is designed for three months. Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to communicate in Dutch on everyday topics, read adapted texts, and conduct simple correspondence.

Further, training is built according to an individual program, based on the goals of the student (Dutch for doing business, studying at a higher educational institution, communicating with native speakers, learning the vocabulary of a particular professional field, etc.).

Lesson 1

Alphabet (explaining the pronunciation of letters in the alphabet)

• A(a);
• B (bay);
• C (say) ;
• D (day);
• E (hey);
• F (ef);
• G (hey);
• H(ha);
• I (s);
• J (yo);
• K (kei);
• L (el);
• M(uh);
• N (en);
• O (oh);
• P (pay);
• Q (kyu);
• R(er);
• S(es) ;
• T (tey);
• U (sound similar to German ü);
• V (fei);
• W (wei);
• X (iks);
• Y (ihrek);
• Z

Vowels

In Dutch, short and semi-long vowels (a/a?) are distinguished in stressed position. Short vowels, as open unstressed ones, are opposed to semi-long tense vowels in terms of length and sound quality.

Long vowels in Dutch only occur before r: (daar). The peculiarity of long and semi-long vowels is a sliding decrease in the strength of the sound: praat, keer.

The concept of open and closed syllables.

An open syllable is a syllable that ends in a vowel. Example: the first syllable in the word ma-ken.

A closed syllable ends in a consonant: mat, raad. (As a rule, the second syllable and further in the word begin with a consonant, so we do not divide mak-en, but ma-ken)

Remember: short vowels are denoted by one letter and occur only in a closed syllable. Example: dik, straks.

Semi-long and long vowels are indicated in a closed syllable by two letters (example: waar, maan), and in an open syllable by one letter: taken, namen.

1. a short, deep sound, when it is pronounced, the tongue is slightly pulled back. Jan, klas, van, man, dan, dat, mannen, Amsterdam, kachel

a? It is pronounced more intensely and longer than Russian /a/. Lips and tongue are neutral. The sound is similar to Russian /a/, prone to /e/. tafel, taal, vraag, straat, maken, la

a: pronounced like the previous sound. Occurs only before r. maar, maart, kaart

o short open sound, tongue slightly pulled back of, op, om, onder, ons, bord

o? labialized tense semi-long sound. When pronouncing, the lips are extended forward, the back of the back of the tongue is raised upwards. Similar to Russian /oy/: ook, lopen, stro, zo

o: Similar to Russian long /y/: door, hoor, oor, antwoord

e A short open vowel, close to the Russian /e/ in the word “these”. When pronouncing it, you need to push the tongue forward, the tip of the tongue is on the front lower teeth, the middle part of the back of the tongue is slightly raised. ben, les, stellen, mensen, wel, pen, cent, ken

e? semi-long closed tense (more intense than the Russian stressed / e / in the words “place”, “right”). When pronouncing this sound, the lips are stretched, the tongue is advanced forward, the middle part of the back of the tongue is raised. The tip of the tongue rests on the front lower teeth. It looks like Russian /her/: been, lees, spreek, heel, neen, heet, Nederlands, leraar, leren

e: (only before r) looks like Russian /air/ meer, keer, beer

2. [i] “i” is short /and/, more tense than Russian /and/: ik, dit, in, zit, is, lip, wit

It is indicated in writing by two options: “ie”, “i” (the second option - one “i” - is found only in borrowings) wie, Marie, riep, liep, zie, niet, liter, timide

(only before r) looks like Russian /ijr/ “ie+r” vier, hier, mier, bier

eu /Ø/ semi-long labialized vowel. When pronouncing it, the tongue retains its position as when pronouncing a semi-long e? , but the lips are rounded and stretched forward, as in /o/.leuk, keuken, neus, deur, kleur

3. u (a sound similar to German ü) is a labialized vowel, when it is pronounced, the lips are rounded and stretched forward, the back of the tongue wall is raised: dus, bus, dubbel, dun, kus, nul

Pronounced as longer, found only in the combination “uu + r” uur, buur, muur

oe is pronounced like Russian /y/:boek, stoel, hoe, moet Try to pronounce two sounds together: rust roest

Consonants

[j] is similar in pronunciation to Russian /й/ja, Jan, verjaardag

[x]ch,g is a deaf consonant, pronounced more intensely than /x/ in the word “hata”. The soft palate descends and a gap is formed between the small uvula and the raised back of the tongue. The pronunciation of the sound is accompanied by a strong exhalation, hence the friction noise arises. nacht, lichen, ligt, geen, negen, lichen

[s] Hissing Russian /c/, in writing it occurs in two variants: “-s, -sch”. SCH is pronounced like this only at the end of a word. bos, Nederlands, Russisch

“c-, s-” cent, citroen, som, september

[z] Hissing Russian /з/, lezen, zien

[h] sound is missing in Russian. It is formed in the larynx and is aspiration. Similar to the sound that comes when we breathe on glass. hand, gehad, herhalen

“ng, nk” is a nasal sonorous sound. When it is pronounced, the tongue is in position as in /k/, but air passes through the nasal cavity, as in /n/. The tip of the tongue is pressed against the lower front teeth. lang, brengen, bank

[r] There are several normative variants of the pronunciation of this sound. We will pronounce it in a standard way, like a sonorant trembling /r/, close to Russian /p/. rood, ras, riep, maar, daar

[l] land, nul, lam, lezen

“sch” at the beginning and in the middle of a word is pronounced /sch/: schoon, misschien, Scheveningen. The Dutch say that if you can pronounce the last word correctly (this is the name of a beach near The Hague), then you already know the language

[p] Pronounced without aspiration. pot, pers, lip, lippen

[d]dag, drie, door, bedden

[b] bos, ben, hebben, op [b] de stoel - voicing occurs before the next voiced consonant

[f] koffer, fel, family, hof

[t] taak, zetten, dat, bed [t] - at the end of the word, if there is no voiced consonant further, stunning occurs

[w] is pronounced like Russian /v/: wat, wie, weer, water, waar, was

[v] semi-voiced sound. More voiced than /f/. However, it is also more tense than /w/. When it is pronounced, a gap is formed between the lower lip and upper teeth, through which air passes with noise. This sound occurs at the beginning of a word and in position between vowels. vinden, boven, leven

“sj” pronunciation resembles Russian /ш/:meisje, mesje

diphthongs

All diphthongs in Dutch are descending, then the strength of the sound decreases on the second component.

“ij” is a diphthong, consisting of a short open stress /ε/ and a short unstressed /i/, pronounced together. Something between Russian /yay/ and /hey/ zijn, hij, wij, schrijven, begrijpen.

“ei” is pronounced the same as “ij”, although they are spelled differently. mei, reizen, trein, klein. If you are dictating a word that contains ei or ij, for example, over the phone, you can explain: “ij” is lange (long) ij, and “ei” is korte (short) ei.

Lijk in this suffix, the combination ij is pronounced like Russian /ы/, that is, everything together sounds like /lyk/: lelijk, schriftelijk, moeilijk

Aai draaien, fraai, zaaien

Ooinoit, mooi, rooie

ui, when it is pronounced, the tongue and lips take the position as when pronouncing a short /a/, and then smoothly move into the position for pronouncing /y/. In other words, it is rounded 'ij'. lui, luisteren, huis, tuin, uit, muis

Eeuw leeuw, sneeuw, spreeuw W can't be read at the end of words!!!

ou,au diphthong consists of a short open stressed /?/ and a short unstressed /u/, pronounced together. oud, vrouw, fout, hout, zout, auto

Long diphthong. Consists of semi-long stressed and unstressed /u/. First, the lips are tense and stretched, the tip of the tongue is firmly pressed against the front lower teeth, then the lips are rounded and slightly pushed forward, the tongue is slightly pulled back. nieuw, opnieuw, vernieuwen

Special sounds. Unstressed vowels

In an unstressed position, reduction occurs, the sound is pronounced fuzzy, like a blurry /e/: denkEn, zittEn, komEn, vadEr, vogEl, gElopen

or /s/ twintIg, prachtIg, kennIs

het boek in the neuter definite article we don't read the first letter h!!!

Svarabhakti (the appearance of a pasound between the sounds lk, rk, rg, etc. That is, when pronouncing between these sounds, you insert a short /e/, it turns out /lek, rek, reh/, etc. Without this pasound, pronouncing words would be quite difficult J, you will insert it yourself, intuitively)

Kelk, melk, kerk, werk

Erg, berg, walgelijk

And now let's try to pronounce the following pairs of words together with sounds similar at first glance (but only at first glance !!!) I pronounce it for the first time, and then you repeat.

ik-ziek, dienen-minnen, pieken-pikken, zit-ziet

ben-been, meen-men, les-lees, mees-mes, bed-beet

man-maan, ban-baan, zal-zaal, mat-maat

boom-bom, bloot-blok, boos-bos, kook-kok

koek-kuur-keur, boek-buur-beurt, doek-duur-deur, hoek-huur-heus

bier-buur, dier-duur, hier-huur, kier-kuur

school, schimmel, schrijven, schuur, scheel, schedel, schip

wat-vat, woeden-voeden, vaar-waar, worm-vorm, waren-varen

Svarabhakti: melk in de kelk, de hulp van de tolk, elf dorpen, een arm volk, erg warm, palm en berk, een vorm van het werkwoord

Next, we form the 1st person form of verbs in writing. This form corresponds to the pure root of the verb. Verbs, as a rule, end in -(e)n, respectively, we separate this ending and get the root. Let's take the first verb maken. We remove the ending en, the root mak remains. It seems to be simple, but NO!!!

Where is the syllable boundary? I remind you that the second syllable usually begins with a consonant. So, ma-ken. The first syllable is open, and, as was said, in an open syllable, a semi-long sound is indicated by one letter. So, the sound “a” in the word maken is semi-long, and if we write mak, it turns out that the syllable becomes closed and “a” becomes short. What to do to save the longitude of the sound? Let's add the second one! It turns out "maak". This is the first person singular form of the verb maken - to do.

Write down a number of other features: two identical letters are never written at the end of words (we will need to remember this when forming the first person singular from the verb “sit” - zitten. Thus, we do not write zitt, but zit.

Even at the end of words (not only verbs), the final v turns into f, and z into s. (the same applies to the root letter before the ending -t of the second and third person in verbs, for example, “he travels” - “hij reist”).

Maken, spreken, antwoorden, zitten, duwen, reizen, razen, begrijpen, schrijven, brengen, leren, lopen, lachen

So we have:

• Spreken - ik spreek I say;
• Antwoorden - ik antwoord I answer;
• Zitten - ik zit I am sitting;
• Duwen - ik duw I push;
• Reizen - ik reis I travel;
• Razen - ik raas I rage, I rage;
• Begrijpen - ik begrijp I understand;
• Schrijven - ik schrijf I write;
• Brengen - ik breng I bring;
• Leren - ik leer I teach;
• Lopen - ik loop I'm going;
• Lachen - ik lach I laugh.

All verbs (with the exception of the verbs zijn "to be" and hebben "to have") are conjugated according to the type represented in the table by the verb werken "to work". Let's try to conjugate the verb leren - to teach, to learn

Hij/zij/het leert

Wij, jullie,zij (all plural forms) werken

	zijn	hebben	werken
ik I	ben	heb	Werk
Jij you, u you	bent	hebt (u hebt/heeft)	Werkt
hij he, zij she,

het Onoisheeftwerktwij Wezijnhebbenwerkenjullie Youzijnhebbenwerkenzij Onizijnhebbenwerken

And here is the beginning of our first short dialogue.

Goeieavand (Good evening). Hoe maak je het? (How are you?) Ik heet Joris (My name is Joris) en hoe heet jij (what's your name)?

Although the Dutch are often quite proficient in foreign languages ​​(English, German and French), being able to speak Dutch will open your way to the heart, mind and culture of Dutch speakers in the Netherlands and anywhere else in the world. Dutch is not one of the simplest languages, since this language contains many sounds and grammatical structures that are alien to Russian. However, these difficulties will only increase the taste of victory in learning this language. Feel free to read Step 1, which will be the starting point of your linguistic journey.

Steps

Some information about Dutch

1. Let's follow the development of the Dutch language. In the classification of languages, Dutch occupies a place in the West Germanic group and is closely related to other languages ​​of this branch, including German, English and West Frisian.

   • The Dutch language was developed from the Low Franconian dialect of Low German. But although Dutch began its development from German roots, it did not undergo an High German consonant shift, which means it does not have such a grammatical marker as an umlaut.
   • In addition, the original case system was eventually abolished in Dutch, and the language underwent morphological alignment.
   • On the other hand, the vocabulary of the Dutch language has largely retained its Germanic roots (although it contains more borrowings from the Romance languages). The word order also remained in its original form (subject - predicate - object in the main sentences and subject - object - predicate - in subordinate ones).

2. Know where in the world Dutch is spoken. Dutch is spoken by approximately 20 million people, mainly in the Netherlands and Belgium. Dutch is used as a second language by about 5 million people.

   • In addition to the Netherlands and Belgium, Dutch is also spoken in northern France, Germany, the Republic of Surinam and Indonesia. It is also the official language in the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean.
   • The dialects of Dutch spoken in Belgium are collectively known as Flemish. Flemish differs from Dutch in several ways, including pronunciation, vocabulary, and intonation.
   • Afrikaans, which is spoken by about 10 million people in South Africa and Namibia, is descended from Dutch. It is believed that the speakers of these languages ​​can understand each other quite well.

3. Start with the alphabet and pronunciation. In learning any language, it's always good to start with the alphabet.

   • A(a) B(be) C(se) D(de) E(uh) F(ef) G(heh) H(gha) I(and) J(yeah) K(ka) L(el) M(Em) N(en) O(about) P(pe) Q(kyu) R(er) S(es) T(those) U(Yu) V(ve) W(yeah) X(X) Y(i-Greek) Z(zet).
   • However, there are many more sounds in Dutch than letters, and their pronunciation does not always coincide with Russian.
   • The best way to learn the pronunciation of unusual consonants and vowels is to listen and repeat them. The following summary is not exhaustive, but will help you get started:
     • Vowels: " a(as in the word "cancer"), e(as in "this") i(as in the word "beat"), o(as in the word "cat"), oe(like the "y" in the word "fog"), u(like the "a" in "acrylic") and y(as "and" in the word "world").
     • Consonants: Some consonants have a completely different pronunciation from Russian. Sounds ch, sch and g are deeply guttural. The Dutch "r" can be either rolled or guttural. And here is the Dutch j similar to the Russian ""y"".

4. Learn about gender division in the language. There are two genders in Dutch: common (words in de) and middle (words in het). This is much easier than in German, where there are 3 genders.

   • From the appearance of a word, it can be difficult to tell what gender it belongs to. Therefore, it is better to memorize the generic division separately for each word.
   • The common gender is the combined form of the masculine and feminine, which are no longer used. As a result, about 2/3 of all nouns are of the same gender.
   • Therefore, the best method is to learn all neuter nouns. Then you will be sure that most of the nouns you have not learned belong to the common gender.
   • You can also identify neuter nouns by learning a set of rules. For example, all diminutive nouns (ending in je), as well as all infinitives used as nouns, are neuter. The neuter gender also includes words in -um, -aat, -sel and -isme, as well as most words starting with ge-, be- and ver-. Words for colors, cardinal points, and metals are also neuter.

5. Learn some common present tense verbs. As you progress in learning Dutch, it will be helpful to memorize some common present tense verbs. You will need them to build sentences.

   • Zijn: The present tense of the verb "to be" is pronounced "zain".
     • Ik ben: I am (pronounced "ik ban")
     • jij/u bent: You are (pronounced "yey/wee bent")
     • Hij/zij / het is: He/she/it is (pronounced "hey/zey/at from)
     • Wijzijn: We are (pronounced "wei zain")
     • Julie Zijn: You are (pronounced "yuli zane")
     • Zij zijn: They are (pronounced "zay zayn")
   • Hebben: The present tense of the verb "to have" is pronounced "heh-bang".
     • Ik heb: I have (pronounced "ik hap")
     • Jij/u hebt: Do you have (pronounced "yey/yu hapt")
     • Hij/zij/het heft: He/she/him (inanimate object) has (pronounced "hey/zay/at heift")
     • Wij hebben: We have (pronounced "wei heh-ban )
     • Julie hebben: Do you have (pronounced "yu-li heh-bang")
     • Zijhebben: They have (pronounced "zay heh-bang")

   Learn basic words and expressions

   1. • een: one (pronounced "eyn")
      • Twee: two (pronounced "twei")
      • Drie: three (pronounced "dri")
      • vier: Four (pronounced "vir")
      • Wijf: Five (pronounced "weif")
      • Zes: Six (pronounced "zes")
      • Zeven: Seven (pronounced "jei-wen")
      • Acht: Eight (pronounced "aht")
      • Negen: Nine (pronounced "nei-hen")
      • Tien: Ten (pronounced "ting")
      • Elf: Eleven (pronounced "elf")
      • Twaalf: Twelve (pronounced "twalf")
      • Dertien: Thirteen (pronounced "der tin")
      • Veertien: Fourteen (pronounced "veir-tin")
      • Wijftien: Fifteen (pronounced "weif-tin")
      • Zestien: Sixteen (pronounced "zes-ting")
      • Zeventien: Seventeen (pronounced "zhey-weh-tin")
      • Achtien: Eighteen (pronounced "ah-tin")
      • Negative: Nineteen (pronounced "nei-heng-ting")
      • Twintig: Twenty (pronounced "twin-tah")

   2. Learn the days of the week and months. Other useful vocabulary includes the names of the days of the week and months.

      • Days of the week:
        • Monday = Maandag(pronounced "man-dah")
        • Tuesday = Dinsdag(pronounced "dins-dah")
        • Wednesday = Woensdag(pronounced "uuns-dah")
        • Thursday = Donderdag(pronounced "don-dar-dah")
        • Friday = Vrijdag(pronounced "vrey-dah")
        • Saturday = Zaterdag(pronounced "zah-tur-dah")
        • Sunday = Zondag(pronounced "zon-dah")
      • Months
        • January = January(pronounced "jen-u-a-ri")
        • February = February(pronounced "fei-bru-ari"),
        • March = Maart(pronounced "March")
        • April = April(pronounced April)
        • May = Mei(pronounced "mei")
        • June = Juni(pronounced "June")
        • July = Julie(pronounced "July")
        • August = Augustus(pronounced "oh-gus-tus"),
        • September = September(pronounced "sep-tember"),
        • October = Oktober(pronounced "ok-tou-ber"),
        • November = November(pronounced "but-wem-ber"),
        • December = December(pronounced "day-sem-ber").

   3. Learn the names of colors. By learning the names of colors in Dutch, you can greatly expand your descriptive vocabulary.

      • Red = rood(pronounced "mouth")
      • Orange = oranje(pronounced "oh-ran-yu")
      • Yellow = Geel(pronounced "gale")
      • Green = Groen(pronounced "gron")
      • Blue = blauw(pronounced "blow")
      • Purple = paars(pronounced "pars") or purple(pronounced "pur-par")
      • Pink = Rose(pronounced "rou-za")
      • White = wit(pronounced "wit")
      • Black = zwart(pronounced "zvart")
      • Brown = bruin(pronounced "bruin")
      • Gray = Grijs(pronounced "grace")
      • Silver = silver(pronounced "zil-fer")
      • Golden = goud(pronounced "hout")

   4. Learn other useful words. By adding some words to your Dutch vocabulary, you can greatly improve your speech.

      • Hello = hallo(pronounced "ha-lo")
      • Goodbye = Tot ziens(pronounced "that sins")
      • Please = Alstublieft(pronounced "al-stu-blift")
      • Thanks = Dank u well(formal, pronounced "dank-yu-vel") or dank je wel(colloquial, pronounced "dank-e-vel")
      • Yes = Ja(pronounced "ya")
      • No = Nee(pronounced "ney")
      • Help = Help(pronounced "halp")
      • Now = Nu(pronounced "nu")
      • Later = Later(pronounced "la-tar")
      • Today = Vandaag(pronounced "van-dag")
      • Tomorrow = Morgen(pronounced "mor-gan")
      • Left = Links(pronounced "lynx")
      • Right = Rechts(pronounced "rahts")
      • Straight = Rechtdoor(pronounced "reh-dor")

   5. Learn some useful expressions. Now let's move on to something more practical and learn a few phrases that will help you in daily communication.

      • How are you? = Hoe maakt u het?(formal, pronounced "hu makt u khat") or Hoe gaat het?(informal, pronounced "hoo gat hat?")
      • ok thanks = Goed, dank u(formal, pronounced "goth dunk yo") or Goed, dank je(pronounced "goth dank e")
      • Nice to meet you = Aangenaam kennis te maken(pronounced "an-ga-nam ke-nis ta ma-kan")
      • I don't speak Dutch well = Ik spreek niet gone Nederlands(pronounced "ik spray nit gut tey-dar-lants")
      • Do you speak English? = Spreekt and Engels?(pronounced "spreikt yu engals")
      • I don't understand = Ik begrijp het niet(pronounced "ik bah-grape hat nit")
      • Not at all = Graag gedaan(pronounced "grag ga-dan")
      • How much is it? = Hoeveel cost dit?(pronounced "hoo-vale cost dit")

   We speak fluently

   1. Get language learning materials. Go to your local library or online bookstore. You will find a range of publications for learning foreign languages, as well as computer programs such as Rosetta Stone.

      • You will also need a good bilingual dictionary to study. Look up the Russian-Dutch dictionary.
      • As you learn, you will gradually want to add to your library of books in Dutch. You can start with children's books, small puzzle books, and gradually move on to novels, poetry, magazines, etc. Reading is an unavoidable source of language knowledge that will help you improve your language skills and also force you to face real natural Dutch. When you reach this stage in your studies, you will also need to purchase a Dutch dictionary.
   2. Flemish is a specific offshoot of Dutch spoken in Flanders, but is not a separate language from Dutch. Both the Dutch and the Flemings speak, read and write the same language, with only minor differences in vocabulary, slang, grammar and pronunciation.
   3. When your Dutch is good enough, you will be able to watch a famous TV show Tien voor Taal, in which Dutch and Flemish native speakers compete in Dutch language competitions, solving various puzzles and cryptograms.
   4. One very famous Dutch speaker was the actress Audrey Hepburn (1929 - 1993). She grew up in the Netherlands during World War II and made her first film appearance in a Dutch series called Nederlands in Zeven Lessen (Dutch in Seven Lessons) which was released in 1948.
   5. Dutch (Netherlands) is the official language of the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders), Suriname, Aruba, Curaçao and Saint Martin, as well as institutions such as the European Union, the Benelux and the Union of South American Nations. It is also the language of territorial minorities in the northwest of France (French Flanders).
   6. Dutch is a West Germanic language and is very close to Afrikaans and Low German, and a little further away from Frisian, English, High German and Yiddish.

   Warnings

   • Don't be offended if native Dutch speakers answer you in English at first when you try to speak to them in Dutch. They just want to avoid the language barrier and make you understand them better. do not forget that in any case they deeply appreciate your efforts and attempts to speak Dutch.
   • Remember that polite forms of address are most common in Flanders, while in the Netherlands they are used only to address older people. However, while you're still learning the language, it's best to always use polite forms of address as a safety net, so there's no risk of offending anyone.