Would Dutch be easy to learn for a native English speaking person? Is it true that dutch is a lot similar?

Answer 1

The two languages are closely related, but that doesn't mean that they are very similar. I wonder if you are just looking for an easy language to learn (for whatever strange reason) you would do better to choose a Latin language like Italian and Spanish (fairly easy) or French (a bit more difficult). Or German, which is more difficult still, but related to English. the problem with Dutch, if you want to use it to speak to people in the Netherlands, is that so many people there speak fluent English that you will have to study if for an incredibly long time before you speak it better than they speak your language. Not a very rewarding situation.

Answer 2

Yes, Dutch, English, and Modern German (along with the other Germanic languages) are all linguistically descended from Ancient German. I've never tried to learn Dutch, but I have learned German and there are a lot of similarities but also a lot of differences.

No other language will be easy to learn (there's no such thing). Even Esperanto, which is advertised as the easiest language on earth to learn will take about a year of dedicated study to become fluent in it.

However, Dutch would probably be easier to learn for someone who natively speaks English than, say, French, Italian or Mandarin Chinese.

Answer 3

Dutch, in my opinion, is somewhere in between English and German, but much more like German than English. Dutch is very difficult to pronounce; even if you learned the language, Dutch people might have a hard time understanding you. I would recommend learning German instead. I speak German, and I can understand quite a lot of the signs and written words in the Netherlands. I can even make out a few things when I hear the language, but not much. also, nearly everyone in the Netherlands speaks both english and German very well, so it won't be a very practical language.

Answer 4

It is hard. I am Dutch, and know several English native speakers who have learned my language. Non of them learned to speak it without accent, a lower percentage than other foreigners got it to good. We have a couple of letters (sounds) you need to learn before you are about 12, and there are very few languages that have several of these. Grammar is not all that difficult, but you need a good course and study it. Vocabulary is near to German or the Scandinavian languages. It does not matter which accent you have. Unless you also speak Spanish, Scottish Gaelic and German. Dutch is hard to pronounce. Besides, you will find it hard to get courses unless you live in the Netherlands. And then you will find it hard to train your Dutch, as most Dutch speak English, and the rest at least understand it. They will automatically answer in English as soon as they hear your accent if they can. I have an aunt who managed to live in the Netherlands for over 45 years and at no point in that time spoke Dutch fluent. (She is now getting worse rather than better, being 80.)

Answer 5

No Dutch is not easy to learn. The only reason it could be considered similar is that both Dutch and English are Germanic languages. But you could learn it if you really wanted.

Answer 6

Tham is not right about the Amsterdam-Dutch being the national standard. Amsterdam accent is thought of as one of the worst "popular slangs" of our country!

Learning Dutch will not be easy for an English speaker, but not impossible either. Do realise that Dutch language has a complicated inconsistant grammar. However, the vocabulary itself (idiom) shouldn't be too hard to learn.

Answer 7

German is easier because the grammatical differences are smaller.
I have lived here 15 years and the biggest differences I have found are:
The written language differs from the pronunciation.
Every region has its own dialect. I mean I live in the north and was on holiday in the south and because the northern dutch is more gutteral, they couldn't understand me. I asked for scharrel lamsvlees (free range lambs meat) and they thought I was asking for shoarma :)
The verbs are placed at a different place in a sentence so that it always seems as if you are talking back to front.
Try this dutch site
http://www.leren.nl/rubriek/talen/nederlands/learn_dutch/

Answer 8

Yes, it is easier to learn than other languages.