Living in the Netherlands without speaking Dutch

Living in The Netherlands without speaking Dutch, should you go for it or ‘vergeet het maar‘? Here’s a glimpse into life in Holland when you forgo learning Dutch.

Do I need to learn Dutch before moving to the Netherlands? Living in the Netherlands without speaking the language it’s a bit… like willingly trying to swim without using your legs: it’s not ideal, but you can do it.

Most Dutch people will understand that you are trying your best not to drown and go as fast as possible. But from time to time, you will meet someone who will ask you to move out of the way; you just don’t fit in this line, so take your weirdo swim elsewhere.

I’ve got a message for you: DUTCH IS BLOODY HARD TO LEARN!

But thankfully, for those of us who want to learn Dutch before arriving in the Netherlands or are just too busy for classes, there is  Bart de Pau from Learn Dutch. Check out Learn Dutch (and their supreme Youtube channel) if you’re serious about learning Dutch!

Living in Holland without speaking Dutch: conversation or trial?

I love living in this country, and I love that with Dutch people, you kind of always know where you stand. They are so honest and direct, not to say abrupt, that I see it as a “let’s not waste our time with bullshit” mentality. And it’s refreshing.

However, the Dutch can also be very proud. Of their culture, of their language, sometimes of themselves. And this combination, mixed with the wrong people, can turn what started as a nice conversation into a true trial, in which you will find yourself defending your lack of language abilities.

I agree 1000% that learning the language of the country you live in is crucial to integrate into society and turn the “one of them” into “one of us.” But let’s be honest: Dutch is one of those languages not taught at school in many countries.

Learning Dutch: let’s start with de/het/een

Living in the Netherlands without speaking Dutch can sometimes be embarrassing. Thus, if you want to learn from scratch, you have to learn from it. It is also a known fact that the older you get, the harder it becomes to learn a new language. Especially when said language has completely different grammar or pronunciation than your language. Being French, Dutch is to me what Italian is to Germans: a language that has nothing in common with my mother tongue.

It is also a fact that Dutch people are particularly good at English. It never ceases to astonish me: almost everybody you encounter in this country can speak English.

Just imagine living abroad but being able to go to the supermarket, work, the doctor, or any shop and have a conversation in English. Just try to do the same in France, Italy, or any other European country (really, go ahead, try!).

That’s a blessing for tourists and expats who get a real chance of building a life abroad.

But that might also be the problem: because the Dutch are so good with English, they tend to think that anyone else who isn’t is doing it on purpose. I have stopped counting the times I have heard “French people refuse to speak English” or “French people think everybody else in the world needs to speak French like them.”

It would be like Cristiano Ronaldo not understanding why some people are not good at football.

This might be breaking news for you, but the French doesn’t speak English because they cannot speak English. And when they can (because, yes, some people can), they are most of the time too insecure about daring to reply in English. Not by choice, but because of lots of things really: education, culture, movies being dubbed in French.

So there you have it. It is not because we are particularly arrogant or proud. (I mean, yeah, we’re proud of our culture and food, but who isn’t?!).

Is learning Dutch hard?

Personally, my main problem with learning Dutch is pronunciation. A common sentence that I learned before arriving in the country was “Sorry, I don’t speak Dutch”. “Ik spreek geen Nederlands.” To pronounce the “green”, imagine that you have something stuck down your throat and trying to get it out… yep, that’s it, you’ve got it.

Well, I have never managed to find the confidence in pronouncing that sentence to anyone. I did think that writing it down on my hand and showing it would make it a bit of an awkward situation.

Yes, Dutch is a hard language. But they know luckily

But thankfully, the large majority of Dutch you meet here are nice and friendly, and they understand that Dutch is a very difficult language to learn. They will enjoy teaching you a word or two when they get the chance. Yes, living in the Netherlands without speaking Dutch means that everyone will try to be your teacher.

READ MORE | How to learn Dutch: the ultimate guide (by people who learned!)

It goes from the friendly cashier in my local supermarket asking about my life story to the work colleagues who enjoy teaching me the most random words they can think of.

Thanks to them, I know how to reply to these people who don’t understand why I cannot speak Dutch yet. Houd je bek! (shut up).

So are you tired of living in The Netherlands without speaking Dutch? Lucky for you, we’ve also got some basic Dutch for you here. Start with these seven words on our YouTube channel:

Seven words of Dutch not enough? For those of us who want to learn Dutch before arriving in the Netherlands, check out Bart de Pau from the excellent Learn Dutch (and their supreme Youtube channel) they’ve got good tutorials and plenty of entertaining videos as well there:

So now you know what it’s like living in the Netherlands without speaking Dutch. Liked this article? Be sure to follow DutchReview on Facebook to not miss out on any other good stuff! 

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in June 2016 and was fully updated in April 2022 for your reading pleasure.

Feature Image:Flickr

Liked it? Try these on for size:

What do you think?

7 COMMENTS

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related posts

Latest posts

Dutch companies are “selling” residence permits via the highly skilled migrant scheme

The Netherlands employs its so-called Kennismigranten (highly skilled migrants) in many sectors, from IT to academia to... nail salons, apparently. Yup, according to research by...

Expats may soon have to take an integration course when living in Amsterdam

If you're an expat living in Amsterdam, you could soon be asked to take Dutch language classes, history lessons, and volunteer time. That's right,...

Getting internet in 2024: 7 questions about getting WiFi to your Dutch house

The internet makes the world go round — and naturally, you want excellent WiFi at your Dutch house. Whether you’re moving to the Netherlands or within...

It's happening

Upcoming events

The latest Dutch news.
In your inbox.