Learn Dutch đŸšČ

Hallo, hoe gaat het? 👋 ! Here’s our curated content for training your passive understanding of the language.

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⏰ Time spent here also counts towards your streak.

Language competency consists of active vocabulary, but also passive vocabulary and natural pattern recognition. Train essential listening skills, understand grammar and morphing patterns.

Knowing Basic Phrases allows you to stay in the language instead of switching to English. Listening-Reading videos is a comfortable yet intense training of your listening skills. It also allows you to explore the country through videos.

If you want to really be comfortable, have lessons. What makes Lingophant unique is that you can create your 100% personalised vocabulary from conversations. 45 minutes per week with a friend or a teacher is already enough input for a constant stream of engaging sentences to practice between lessons.

📔 Basic Phrases

These phrases are the perfect point of departure for serious learners. They help you stay in the language, without needing to switch to English. And you internalize patterns.

Unlock them one-by-one in the app, and memorize them from the “Practice” tab.

01 – Basic Phrases — 16 phrases
02 – Introductions — 21 phrases
03 – Useful Reactions — 26 phrases
04 – Clarifications — 18 phrases
05 – Learning Languages — 20 phrases
06 – Interests and Opinions — 24 phrases
07 – Travel Phrases — 21 phrases
08 – Small Talk — 22 phrases
09 – Politeness — 9 phrases

This is just to get you started. For personalized phrases, we recommend sessions of 45 minutes with a native speaker.

  • Know 300 phrases and you can make jokes and impress people
  • Know 600 phrases and you can hold basic conversations
  • Know 1000 phrases and you start communicating effortlessly

And because of working with audio, you’ll get compliments on your pronunciation a lot. We promise!

🎧 Train your listening skills with proper documentaries

We have selected enjoyable documentaries and reportage channels. Watch them, listen to the language, and build a natural intuition. Some polyglots swear by this method — 30 minutes a day builds working proficiency.

ARTE (4.88m subs)

ARTE (view channel) – Bienvenue sur ARTE, la plateforme culturelle europĂ©enne. Histoire, sciences, culture pop, reportages d’investigations ou documentaires complets : prenez le temps de comprendre le monde.

BLAST, Le souffle de l’info (1.65m subs)

BLAST, Le souffle de l’info (view channel) – Blast, nouvelle Web TV indĂ©pendante, nouveau site d’infos. Éditos, enquĂȘtes, culture, tribunes et reportages.

C dans l’air – France TĂ©lĂ©visions (999k subs)

C dans l’air – France TĂ©lĂ©visions (view channel) – Pas un Ă©vĂ©nement important qui ne soit Ă©voquĂ©, expliquĂ© et analysĂ© dans C dans l’air.

Documentaire Société (1.89m subs)

Documentaire SociĂ©tĂ© (view channel) – Documentaires, reportages, magazine

Reportages et investigations (368k subs)

Reportages et investigations (view channel) – Retrouvez les meilleurs reportages d’investigation et enquĂȘtes journalistiques des plus grandes Ă©missions – EnvoyĂ© spĂ©cial, Zone interdite, En quĂȘte d’actualitĂ©, etc. – qui questionnent et Ă©clairent faits de sociĂ©tĂ©, sujets d’actualitĂ©, monde des affaires


SRF Dokus & Reportagen (398k subs)

SRF Dokus & Reportagen (view channel) – Wir berichten faktentreu, verzichten auf «scripted reality» und sind der journalistischen Redlichkeit verpflichtet.

DOCS EnquĂȘtes & SociĂ©tĂ© – FranceTV Distribution (283k subs)

DOCS EnquĂȘtes & SociĂ©tĂ© – FranceTV Distribution (view channel) – 📰 Bienvenue sur DOCS EnquĂȘtes et SociĂ©tĂ©

LCP – AssemblĂ©e nationale (474k subs)

LCP – AssemblĂ©e nationale (view channel) – LCP-AssemblĂ©e nationale, la chaine qui cultive une libertĂ© de ton et une exigence de sens et donne Ă  voir et Ă  comprendre la politique et l’actualitĂ© parlementaire autrement.

Des Racines et des Ailes – France TĂ©lĂ©visions (218k subs)

Des Racines et des Ailes – France TĂ©lĂ©visions (view channel) – ChaĂźne officielle de l’Ă©mission Des Racines et Des Ailes. Ne manquez pas nos prochaines vidĂ©os, abonnez-vous ! #DRDA

rbb Doku (192k subs)

rbb Doku (view channel) – Im rbb Doku-Kanal findet ihr Dokumentationen und Reportagen aus Berlin, Brandenburg und der Welt. Sie tauchen ein in die Hauptstadt und ihre Region, in die Geschichte und Geschichten. Unsere Reporter:innen decken MissstĂ€nde auf, erlĂ€utern ZusammenhĂ€nge und HintergrĂŒnde. Aber vor allem erzĂ€hlen sie von Menschen und ihrem Leben.

Tony Comiti (100k subs)

Tony Comiti (view channel) – Bienvenue sur cette chaĂźne de documentaires de sociĂ©tĂ© et d’investigation, rĂ©alisĂ©s en France et partout dans le monde.

imineo Documentaires (3.49m subs)

imineo Documentaires (view channel) – Évadez-vous, dĂ©couvrez, comprenez. Que ce soit pour un voyage au bout du monde, une immersion dans les archives de l’Histoire ou une enquĂȘte au cƓur de l’actualitĂ©, imineo Documentaires sĂ©lectionne pour vous des films d’exception. Rejoignez une communautĂ© de passionnĂ©s et ne manquez aucune de nos nouvelles pĂ©pites documentaires.

🎧 Train listening with weird popular YouTube videos

It’s like zapping TV through another linguistic and cultural universe. Watch what native speakers watch. We hope you find something interesting.

đŸ§‘â€đŸ« Grammar overview in 9 chapters

Below is an overview of the most important grammar topics. Each chapter has a short explanation and recommended videos.

While memorizing phrases, you’ll likely recognize patterns from grammar. You can add a note or question to a card and get it answered next time you’re with a teacher.

De & Het: Dutch Articles A1

Dutch has two definite articles: ‘de’ and ‘het’. ‘De’ is used with common-gender nouns (originally masculine and feminine), and ‘het’ is used with neuter nouns. For example, ‘de man’ (the man) and ‘het huis’ (the house). Unfortunately there is no simple rule that predicts which article a noun takes, so the article must be learned together with each noun. The indefinite article ‘een’ (a/an) is the same for all nouns, which makes it easier to start speaking right away.

The best strategy is to always learn every new noun with its article as a fixed chunk — treat ‘de tafel’ and ‘het boek’ as single units rather than two separate words. In the app, pay attention to the article each time a new noun appears. Getting ‘de’ vs ‘het’ right matters practically because it affects adjective endings and pronoun choice later on, so building the habit early saves a lot of effort. Once you internalise the article with each noun, you will be able to refer to things around you naturally and set yourself up for more advanced grammar patterns.

Word Order: Verb in Second Position A1

Dutch follows a V2 (verb-second) rule in main clauses: the finite verb must always be the second element in the sentence, no matter what comes first. If you start with the subject, the order is normal — ‘Ik drink koffie’ (I drink coffee). But if you start with a time expression or other element, the subject and verb flip: ‘Morgen drink ik koffie’ (Tomorrow I drink coffee). This inversion surprises many English speakers because English does not do this. The key insight is that ‘second element’ means second grammatical chunk, not second word.

A practical trick is to think of the finite verb as sitting in a fixed ‘slot 2’ box — whatever you put in front of it, the verb stays in that box and the subject jumps behind it. When listening to Dutch, use this rule to quickly identify the verb and the main topic of any sentence. Once you master V2 word order, your sentences will immediately sound more natural to Dutch ears, and you will be able to confidently rearrange sentences to add emphasis or link ideas — a skill used constantly in everyday conversation.

Present Tense Verb Conjugation A1

Dutch present-tense conjugation is simpler than it first appears. Most verbs follow a regular pattern based on the verb stem (the infinitive minus ‘-en’). The first-person singular uses the bare stem: ‘ik werk’ (I work). Second and third person singular add ‘-t’: ‘jij werkt’, ‘hij werkt’. Plural forms use the full infinitive: ‘wij werken’. One important exception: when ‘jij’ or ‘je’ comes after the verb (inversion), the ‘-t’ is dropped — ‘werk jij?’ not ‘werkt jij?’. Common irregular verbs like ‘zijn’ (to be), ‘hebben’ (to have), and ‘gaan’ (to go) need to be memorised separately.

Focus first on mastering ‘zijn’ and ‘hebben’ since they appear in almost every conversation and also form the basis of past tenses. For regular verbs, practise finding the stem by removing ‘-en’ — watch out for spelling rules like doubling consonants (e.g., ‘stoppen’ → stem ‘stop’). With a solid grasp of present-tense conjugation, you will be able to talk about your daily routines, describe people and things, ask questions, and understand the vast majority of everyday Dutch sentences.

Personal Pronouns: Subject & Object Forms A1

Dutch personal pronouns have two sets: stressed and unstressed forms, plus distinct subject and object cases. The subject pronouns are ‘ik, jij/je, hij/zij/ze/het, wij/we, jullie, zij/ze’. The object pronouns are ‘mij/me, jou/je, hem, haar, ons, jullie, hen/hun/ze’. The stressed forms (jij, mij, jou) are used for emphasis or contrast, while the unstressed forms (je, me) are what you hear most in fast, natural speech. ‘U’ is the formal ‘you’, used with strangers, elderly people, or in professional settings.

Train your ear to the unstressed forms first, since those dominate real conversation — you will hear ‘ze’ far more often than ‘zij’ or ‘hen’. A good technique is to listen to phrases on the app and notice which pronoun form is used and why. Mastering pronouns lets you refer to people and objects without repeating nouns, making your speech flow naturally, and helps you follow conversations where speakers constantly switch between ‘hij’, ‘ze’, and ‘het’ to refer to things already mentioned.

  • Dutch PRONOUNS for OBJECTS // Voornaamwoorden // Dutch for BEGINNERS les 19 (NT2 – A1) – Dutchies to be – Learn Dutch with Kim: A well-structured A1-level Dutch lesson specifically covering object pronouns with clear explanations and examples, backed by strong viewership proving its effectiveness for beginners.
  • Dutch Round 1 : personal pronouns – Dutch Round 1: Covers Dutch subject pronouns in detail including the stressed/unstressed distinctions (jij/je, wij/we, zij/ze) and formal vs informal usage, with a clear timestamped structure ideal for beginners.
  • Dutch Lesson #08 | Object Pronouns – TomCatchesUp: A concise, well-sourced 7-minute lesson dedicated entirely to Dutch object pronouns, including the tricky hen/hun distinction, making it a solid complement to a subject pronoun lesson.

Past Tense: The Perfect with Hebben & Zijn A2

Dutch speakers most commonly express past events using the present perfect tense (voltooid tegenwoordige tijd) rather than a simple past, especially in spoken language. It is formed with a helper verb — either ‘hebben’ or ‘zijn’ — plus a past participle. The past participle of regular verbs is built with the prefix ‘ge-‘ plus the stem plus ‘-d’ or ‘-t’: ‘gewerkt’ (worked), ‘gespeeld’ (played). The choice between ‘hebben’ and ‘zijn’ depends on the verb: motion or change-of-state verbs typically take ‘zijn’ (e.g., ‘Ik ben gegaan’ — I went), while most others take ‘hebben’ (e.g., ‘Ik heb gegeten’ — I ate).

A useful memory hook for ‘zijn’ verbs is the acronym SOFT VAMP: verbs of motion and change of state (worden, zijn, blijven, gaan, komen, etc.) tend to use ‘zijn’. Also note that past participles go to the very end of the clause — ‘Ik heb gisteren een film gezien’ (I watched a film yesterday) — which mirrors the general Dutch rule of pushing extra verbs to the end. Once you crack this tense, you unlock the ability to tell stories, share experiences, and talk about your day — essential skills for any real conversation.

Adjective Endings: When to Add -e A2

In Dutch, adjectives change their form depending on whether they precede a ‘de’-word or a ‘het’-word, and whether the noun is definite or indefinite. The core rule: add ‘-e’ to the adjective in almost all cases — ‘de grote hond’ (the big dog), ‘het grote huis’ (the big house), ‘een grote hond’. The main exception is an adjective before an indefinite singular ‘het’-noun: ‘een groot huis’ (a big house), where no ‘-e’ is added. This single exception is the one pattern worth memorising carefully.

A quick mental test: ask yourself ‘Is this a het-word after een (or no article)?’ — if yes, drop the ‘-e’; otherwise, always add it. Because you already learned nouns with their articles (de/het), you can apply this rule immediately. Getting adjective endings right makes your Dutch sound polished and avoids the slightly jarring effect that missing or wrong endings can have on native speakers. You will be able to describe people, places, and objects with natural-sounding detail in both spoken and written Dutch.

Modal Verbs: Kunnen, Willen, Moeten & More A2

Dutch modal verbs — ‘kunnen’ (can/be able to), ‘willen’ (want to), ‘moeten’ (must/have to), ‘mogen’ (may/be allowed to), ‘zullen’ (shall/will), and ‘hoeven’ (need to, usually with ‘niet’) — work similarly to English modals. They are conjugated in the present tense and are followed by a bare infinitive that moves to the end of the clause: ‘Ik kan morgen komen’ (I can come tomorrow), ‘Hij moet werken’ (He has to work). Their past forms are built using the simple past (imperfect) rather than the perfect, which is an exception to the general preference for the perfect tense.

Because modal verbs are extremely frequent in everyday requests, offers, obligations, and plans, learning even their basic present-tense forms immediately expands what you can express. Chunk them with common infinitives from the app — phrases like ‘Ik wil graag…’, ‘Kun jij…?’, and ‘Je moet…’ will cover a huge range of social situations. With modals, you will be able to make polite requests, express needs and wishes, give and ask for permission, and talk about future plans — all core functions of daily conversation.

Subordinate Clauses: Verb Goes to the End B1

When a clause is introduced by a subordinating conjunction — such as ‘omdat’ (because), ‘dat’ (that), ‘als’ (if/when), ‘toen’ (when, past), ‘terwijl’ (while), or ‘zodat’ (so that) — the finite verb moves to the very end of that clause. Compare: ‘Hij werkt’ (He works) vs. ‘Ik weet dat hij werkt’ (I know that he works). If there are multiple verbs, they cluster at the end in a specific order. This is one of the most noticeable structural differences from English and is used constantly in connected speech and writing.

A practical approach is to learn a handful of high-frequency conjunctions as triggers for ‘verb-final mode’ — once you spot ‘omdat’, ‘dat’, or ‘als’, immediately expect the verb at the end. Listening to the app phrases and noticing where verbs land in longer sentences will build this intuition quickly. Mastering subordinate clause order is a major fluency milestone: it lets you give reasons, express conditions, report what others said, and build complex, natural-sounding sentences instead of stringing together short simple ones.

Separable Verbs: Prefixes That Split Off B1

Many Dutch verbs are made up of a base verb plus a prefix — such as ‘opbellen’ (to call up/phone), ‘meenemen’ (to take along), ‘aanzetten’ (to turn on), or ‘uitleggen’ (to explain). In a main clause, these verbs split apart: the prefix detaches and moves to the very end of the clause, while the conjugated base verb stays in second position. So ‘Ik bel haar op’ (I call her up) — not ‘Ik opbel haar’. In subordinate clauses, the verb reassembles at the end: ‘omdat ik haar opbel’. In the infinitive and past participle, ‘ge-‘ is inserted between prefix and stem: ‘opgebeld’.

The best way to learn separable verbs is to notice the prefix when you encounter a new verb in the app and mark it mentally as ‘separable’ — a split icon or different colour in your notes can help. Listen for the dangling prefix at the end of sentences; once you know to expect it, you will stop misunderstanding where sentences end. Understanding separable verbs is key to not getting lost mid-sentence in Dutch conversation, and producing them correctly makes your speech sound fluent and natural rather than textbook-stiff.