How to learn Dutch fast

Methods and materials for the quickest way to learn Dutch

How to learn Dutch fast? Google this and you'll see a tonne of websites that say their particular course has the secret sauce.

Having met hundreds of language learners, I can tell you hand on heart that there aren’t any universally effective ways to learn Dutch quickly. What strategy works best for you will depend on things like your current level, the amount of time and money you have, and your language learning goals.

But there are certain learning techniques that usually prove more effective than others.

This short guide is based on my own experience as a language tutor in helping students learn to speak Dutch quickly.

Learning Dutch Quickly’: What does this actually mean?

Let’s be real - I’m not going to be able to teach you how to speak Dutch fast and perfectly in six months. It takes years of commitment to fully grasp a language fully, despite what some language schools might claim on their promotional materials.

The good news is that you can become conversationally fluent in much less time.

Conversational fluency means being able to carry out typical, everyday conversations on common subjects with native speakers. If getting to know the people, learning about their culture, and actively integrating into their country is your ultimate objective, you need conversational fluency.

So, unless your job requires you to speak the language perfectly, your main goal should be to become conversationally fluent.

Six to twelve months should be enough to help you obtain conversational fluency, and this guide will show you the fastest way to learn Dutch to a conversational level.

The fastest way to learn Dutch vocabulary

The fast and effective acquisition of useful vocabulary is one of the secrets to learning Dutch quickly. And below I will outline a number of strategies to do just this.

1. Learn the most often used words. Like all languages, Dutch has a limited set of words that make up most of the spoken language. Fortunately, lists of these often used words are available online (see point 2 below).
2. Use flashcards. These accelerate your memory of Dutch vocabulary by using a spaced repetition technique. The 1500 most often used words are actually included in flashcard packs available on Langua. Get a good grasp of these and you'll be speaking and understanding Dutch much more quickly.
3. Focus on vocabulary that is important for you. Pay attention to subjects that are of interest to you and are required by you. It will be simpler for you to commit these words to memory and you will be more likely to apply them in actual life much sooner.
4. Learn common cognates. Thankfully, plenty of words in Dutch are similar in some ways to those in English. For example, kat is the Dutch word for cat. Often it is simply a case of one or more letters changing in the spelling of the word, for example brutaal > brutal. Learning as many of these can really help you learn Dutch fast. Here are a couple more examples to show you what I mean: koud > cold; huis > house. Get the idea?

Follow these four tips and you will learn to speak Dutch faster!

Form routines to keep things moving along

Regular practice might come naturally at first. We all know, though, that it becomes more difficult to sustain over longer periods of time. How, then, can you maximise your chances of consistently practising over a longer timeframe?

By forging routines, that’s how! The reason habits are essential to changing behaviour is that once they are formed, motivation or willpower are not necessary.

Rewards and cues help to form habits. The action is started by the cue. Putting a daily reminder in your calendar to practise at the same time every day could become your cue for learning some Dutch. The excitement of knowing you're improving and the enjoyment of practice should ideally be the rewards.

If this isn't reward enough for you, though, you could plan a trip to the Netherlands or the Dutch-speaking areas of Belgium, for example. How’s that for motivation for learning Dutch quickly?!

Another technique to spur yourself on is to inform your friends and family that you’ll be practising each day. Of course, all of us want to keep our word, so telling others should also help keep you moving forward.

Top exercises and materials to learn Dutch fast

Keep your learning objectives in mind when selecting from the resources below. If conversing in Dutch is your aim, practise speaking and listening the most. Speaking practice also works better than writing as it takes longer to write a sentence than it does to say it. Logically, this way you’ll get to practise more in the same amount of study time.

Let’s look at some of the top resources for how to learn Dutch fast and how best to utilise them:

Dutch Podcasts

You can quickly get better at understanding Dutch as it is spoken by natives if you listen to a Dutch podcast every few days. If you're pressed for time, consider listening while driving to work or doing your chores.

You can learn Dutch with the help of dozens of free podcasts. The best Dutch podcasts are listed on Langua for you and carefully categorised according to level and dialect.

To get the most out of your podcasts, get into the habit of repeating from time to time what the podcast hosts say. Your ability to memorise words and pronounce them accurately will improve quickly by doing this. Interactive transcripts are another feature of Langua. This lets you click on words and translate them as they appear in time with the audio.

News Programmes & Netflix

If you already speak and understand some Dutch, you should regularly watch the news in Dutch rather than English. You may probably already be familiar with some of the news stories, and news presenters tend to talk very clearly, which aids comprehension. BVN and SBS are a couple of the best sources for Dutch news.

Other than the news, Netflix has dozens of Dutch language programmes available for streaming. Watching The Forgotten Battle, Faithfully Yours, My Best Friend Anne Frank or The Golden Hour will keep you entertained for hours and help you pick up more Dutch. Obviously you should watch them in the original language and, if available, turn on Dutch subtitles. Don't use English subtitles because you'll end up reading them and missing the opportunity to hone your Dutch.

Speaking Practice

Three basic choices exist for learning to speak Dutch fast: language exchanges, tutoring, and speaking with AI.

If you already speak some Dutch and live in a city, you should look into language exchanges, which are gatherings of people who take turns to speak different languages, such as English and Dutch.

Meeting new people and practising in a safe environment is a fun way to gain conversation practice. What’s more, everyone there wants to learn a language, so people are usually very encouraging and supportive, giving you the courage to speak without fear of making mistakes.

The drawback is that learning through exchanges is actually quite inefficient because you have to go to the meetup and then often spend half of your time speaking with others in your own language. So, while they are helpful, if language exchanges are your only source of conversation practice, they will not be the quickest way to learn Dutch.

Taking one-on-one tutoring sessions catered to your needs is the fastest way to learn Dutch, provided you have the means, of course. Dutch tutors tend to be more expensive than tutors for Spanish for example. This is usually because there aren't so many around and they live in countries with a higher cost of living. The best value is usually found online, as the tutors don't need to travel to you and may live in cheaper countries. See the online Dutch tutors on LanguaTalk if you're interested in taking personalised sessions.

Another popular choice has emerged in the past year or so: artificial intelligence-powered Dutch speaking practice. Langua is one platform that provides this. There you may discuss your interests, participate in topical debates, or practise acting out realistic situations via role plays. To get you talking, the AI will pose interesting questions and offer explanations and corrections to help you advance. If you want to practise for 5–10 minutes anytime you have a spare moment, learning Dutch with AI is ideal. Try Langua for free here.

Common errors when attempting to learn Dutch quickly

You now know some of the top methods and tools for learning Dutch quickly. But you must steer clear of the following traps to increase your chances of success:

1. Grammar obsession. Learn the fundamentals, sure, but you don't need flawless grammar to be understood. You will naturally pick up a lot of grammar whenever you speak, read, or listen to Dutch, so don't worry if you find grammar exercises dull. Consider the grammar of your first language. Did you study every rule and now use them with ease, or did you pick them up with experience and intuition?
   
2. Avoiding speaking and making errors. Speaking at a conversational level should be your aim, so get started as soon as possible. Although you might feel anxious at first, you have to learn to be at ease with making errors. You will learn from these and get better faster the more mistakes you make.
   
3. Overusing applications. Beginner language learners may find Duolingo and other similar programmes helpful in acquiring some fundamental vocabulary and grammar. Beyond this, though, answering multiple choice questions on an app is not the fastest way to learn Dutch - well, certainly not if your objective is to be able to have conversations in the language. This comes with speaking practice and listening to others.
   
4. Telling yourself you’re too busy. As it happens, you can advance in just fifteen minutes a day. Think of your everyday drive; with technology, you can use this time valuably by listening to Dutch podcasts or reviewing vocabulary. Watch films and TV a lot? Choose Dutch-language content and use Netflix's Dutch subtitles feature.

A limited budget isn't an excuse for not managing to learn Dutch

I've included all you need in this guide to learn Dutch fast, even on a tight budget. Should you feel inspired, act now to apply your newly acquired knowledge. Begin to form regular study routines. Jot down some of the sites I suggested and give them a shot. Also, I strongly suggest making a weekly plan like the one below:

Day 1: Read the transcripts after listening to a podcast episode. Discover Dutch podcasts here that suit your preferred dialect and skill level.

Day 2: Book a trial session with a skilled Dutch tutor like me (if your budget permits this).

Day 3: Go over a hundred of the most often used Dutch words.

Day 4: Turn on the Dutch subtitles on a Dutch Netflix or Amazon series.

Day 5: Give Dutch speaking AI a try.

Veel succes! (Best of luck!)

About the author:

Hiltje Cotoarba is a licensed speech therapist since 1989 and a full-time online Dutch (NT2) teacher since 2017. With extensive experience in B1 and B2 certifications, (para)medical education, and the Dutch Civic Integration Exam, she teaches Dutch to students of all levels and ages. Hiltje's patient approach and individually-tailored lessons cater to each student's unique learning style and interests, while connecting language with Dutch culture. Fluent in English, German, and Frisian, with conversational Romanian skills, Hiltje creates a supportive environment for learners from diverse backgrounds to achieve their Dutch language goals. If you're considering taking Duch classes, you can view Hiltje's profile here.