{"id":2101,"date":"2012-12-27T18:48:39","date_gmt":"2012-12-27T18:48:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/?p=2101"},"modified":"2014-07-18T15:47:22","modified_gmt":"2014-07-18T15:47:22","slug":"10-tips-for-learning-dutch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/10-tips-for-learning-dutch\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Tips for Learning Dutch"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is almost the start of a new year and for many people, learning a foreign language (or improving the one they are working on) will feature somewhere on the New Year\u2019s resolution list.<\/p>\n

If that foreign language is Dutch, here are ten mini-tips about the language to get you started.<\/p>\n

1. Dutch nouns have a gender. They are either common or neuter. The article de<\/strong><\/em> goes with common nouns and het<\/strong><\/em> goes with neuter nouns. It is important that the article “the” (de<\/strong><\/em> or het<\/strong><\/em>) agrees with the noun that it is going with.<\/p>\n

Example: de kip<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 het huis<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

2. The word for a\/an is een<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

3. The word een<\/strong><\/em> actually has two meanings \u2013 a\/an or one. The pronunciation makes all the difference, which is why you will usually find the number version written this way: \u00e9\u00e9n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Example: een huis<\/strong><\/em> \u2013 \u00e9\u00e9n, twee, drie<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

4. Diminutives are often used in Dutch, expressing smallness, endearment or even contempt. To form a diminutive, you usually add \u2013je<\/strong><\/em> or \u2013tje<\/strong><\/em> to the end of the noun but \u2013etje<\/strong><\/em>, -pje<\/strong><\/em>, and \u2013kje<\/strong><\/em> can also be found.<\/p>\n

Example: het meisje<\/strong><\/em> \u2013 het boompje<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

5. Diminutives are always neuter nouns.<\/p>\n

6. There are three ways to form the plural of nouns:<\/p>\n