Basics
Dutch is very similar to German — many words are instantly recognizable (Huis = House, Boek = Book, Kerk = Church). However, the pronunciation takes some getting used to: The famous "g" (a guttural sound like in Swiss German) and the "ij" (sounds like a long "ei") are the biggest hurdles.
The Most Important Words and Phrases
| Dutch | German | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hallo / Hoi | Hello / Hi | Hallo / Hoi |
| Goedemorgen | Good Morning | Chude-morchen |
| Goedemiddag | Good Day | Chude-middach |
| Goedenavond | Good Evening | Chude-nawont |
| Dankjewel / Dank u wel | Thank you / Thank you (formal) | Dank-je-well / Dank-ü-well |
| Alsjeblieft / Alstublieft | Please (give) / Please (formal) | Als-je-blieft / Als-tü-blieft |
| Ja / Nee | Yes / No | Ja / Nee |
| Sorry / Pardon | Excuse me | Sorry / Pardon |
| Spreekt u Duits? | Do you speak German? | Spreeekt-ü Döüts? |
| Hoeveel kost het? | How much does it cost? | Hu-feel kost het? |
| Waar is...? | Where is...? | Wahr is...? |
| De rekening, alstublieft | The bill, please | De ree-ke-ning, als-tü-blieft |
| Proost! | Cheers! | Prohst! |
| Lekker! | Delicious! / Great! | Lecker! |
| Gezellig | Cozy / Sociable (untranslatable!) | Che-sell-ich |
| Tot ziens | Goodbye | Tot siens |
| Doei! | Bye! | Dui! |
