Language Guides
In-depth Dutch guides covering grammar, verbs, writing, pronunciation, and more.
Start Here
The two guides to read before anything else.
Sentence Building
How Dutch sentences are structured — word order, questions, and connecting clauses.
Sentence Structure
How Dutch sentences work — main clauses, sub-clauses, questions, and the famous verb-second (V2) rule.
Asking Questions
Wat, wie, waar, wanneer, hoe, waarom — question words and how to form both yes/no and open questions.
Conjunctions & Word Order
Want vs omdat, subordinating conjunctions (verb to end), sub-clause first inversion, als vs toen, and connecting adverbs.
Relative Clauses
Die (de-words), dat (het-words), waar+prep (things), prep+wie (people), wat (after alles/superlatives) — verb to end.
Negation
Geen before indefinite nouns, niet for everything else. Compound negators and niemand/niets/nooit/nergens.
Verbs & Tenses
Conjugation, all tense forms, and the verb types that give learners the most trouble.
160+ Key Dutch Verbs
Essential Dutch verbs with present, simple past, and perfect tense forms. Includes irregular and separable verbs.
Perfect Tense
Hebben vs zijn, past participle formation ('t kofschip rule), strong verbs, separable and inseparable prefix verbs.
Simple Past (Imperfect)
't kofschip rule (-te vs -de), 20 strong verb forms, and when to use imperfect vs perfect.
Future Tense
Three ways to express the future: present tense + time word, gaan + infinitive (plans), and zullen (promises, predictions).
Passive Voice
worden vs zijn passive, werd/werden, state vs action, agent with door, and impersonal er wordt.
Separable Verbs
Opstaan, meenemen, aanzetten — how separable verbs split in main clauses, stay together in sub-clauses, and form participles.
Modal Verbs
Kunnen, mogen, moeten, willen, zullen, hoeven te — conjugation, meanings, word order, and double infinitives.
Reflexive Verbs
Me, je, zich, ons — reflexive pronouns and the most common reflexive verbs: schamen, haasten, vergissen, and more.
The Imperative
Form Dutch commands from the verb stem. Covers irregular forms (wees!), formal u-imperatives, and negative commands.
Nouns & Articles
De vs het, plural forms, diminutives, and how adjectives change based on the noun.
De / Het Articles
When to use de vs het — diminutives, ge-/be- prefix nouns, -ing/-heid/-atie endings, and the golden rule: when in doubt, use de.
Noun Plurals
Dutch plural rules: short vs long vowels, f→v and s→z changes, -s endings, apostrophe-s, and irregular forms.
Diminutives
Add -je, -tje, -etje, or -pje to nouns to express smallness or affection. Every diminutive is a het-word.
Adjective Endings
When to add -e and when not to — the een + het-word exception, predicative vs attributive, spelling changes.
Comparatives & Superlatives
Groot → groter → het grootst. Spelling rules, als/dan, and irregular forms (goed, veel, weinig, graag).
Demonstratives & Possessives
Deze/dit/die/dat (this/that), mijn/zijn/haar/ons/onze/hun, the ons vs onze rule, adjectives after possessives.
Pronouns, Prepositions & Er
The small words that trip up learners the most.
Pronouns
Subject, object, and possessive pronouns — with strong vs weak forms and the ons vs onze rule.
Prepositions
In, op, aan, naar, van, bij, met, voor, na — every common preposition with examples and fixed combinations.
The Word 'Er'
Four uses of Dutch 'er': there is/are, pronoun replacement (ervan, erop…), counting (ik heb er drie), and impersonal passive.
Reference & Writing
Quick-reference material and practical writing skills.
Themed Vocabulary
Office, shopping, kitchen, at the doctor, school, vacation, transport, and 10+ more topic-based word lists.
