Things people ask when you say you’re learning Dutch

So you’ve decided to start learning Dutch — good on you! Learning a new language is hard enough as it is, but people’s responses to your learning can be even more challenging.

I could quite comfortably write reams and reams on this topic. Therefore, I thought limiting myself wasn’t such a bad idea.

I am going to talk about five typical English responses and five Dutch responses you can expect when you tell someone you’re learning Dutch. 🤓

Typical responses from English-speakers

Hopefully, most English speakers are respectful and supportive when someone decides that they want to learn Dutch.

But sometimes they aren’t, and these are the possible things you might hear when you tell them about your language-learning adventure:

1. “Why?”

The standard English response to anything that is out of the ordinary: “Why do you want to do that?” “What’s the point?” Well, the point is that personal development is a choice and my choice is to do it via languages! The language I chose is Dutch. 🤷🏼‍♀️

2. “That’s interesting.”

This is the response from any other multilingual person. I’ve noticed myself doing it when someone says they are learning Spanish or Hindi or any other language.

I think there’s a mutual understanding of the struggles of learning a language that makes for a “That’s really interesting” response. Maybe you can share tips or experiences on your language-learning journey.

3. “What for?”

Similar to #1, people always assume there is some end goal. They are never happy with a response like “just because.” The standard expected answers are work or love.

READ MORE | An expats’ guide to learning the Dutch language

Most people think you are either learning Dutch for work or to impress a loved one. I have still not developed a good enough comeback to this kind of question. 😢

4. “Is that the same as German?”

This frustrates me. Dutch and German aren’t the same. Dutch is a Germanic language, BUT it isn’t German. To be honest, I was a little naive at first about Dutch, as there is some cross-over.

However, when you hear the two together, you’ll almost instantly notice that Dutch sounds much more soft and bouncy, whereas I always feel that German sounds more harsh.

5. “Say something in Dutch, then.”

The response of people that don’t believe you. It’s almost as if these people want to catch you out.

What should your response be? I end up going along the super predictable lines of “Hallo! Goedenmorgen, ik ben Maria. Hoe gaat het met jou?”

(Yes, that is my standard, on-the-spot, Dutch sentence. I have used it that many times, so people think that that is all I can say. 😕)

Responses from Dutchies

Dutch speakers can be even more intense when they hear that you’re learning their language.

Normally, you’d expect them to be impressed or flattered that you’re trying to learn a language that not many people speak — but that’s not always the case. Some Dutchies are just plain rude about it. 😤

1.”Why? Everyone here speaks English.”

This is a cop-out. I often get this response because some Dutchies like the fact that not many people speak their language. They can talk about you almost to your face, and you’d be none the wiser.

This is sneaky, but I must admit I like it. I can’t wait to go on a package holiday and overhear a Dutch family and their secrets. It will feel like they are talking in a code only we know, and I can give them the node! (Or not, am I getting too carried away here?).

2. “Really? It is a super hard language to learn.”

That’s no reason not to bother, though, surely. Similar to the “Everyone speaks English” response, just because I don’t need it doesn’t mean it’s acceptable not to know the basic polite gestures.

READ MORE | How long does it take to learn Dutch?

In my experience, shop assistants like to have a small exchange of words at the till, and I like to leave the store knowing I’ve said my bit.

3. “That’s really good!”

This is from the nice, supportive Dutchies. They acknowledge the difficulty of learning the language, similar to the previous response, but they appreciate the commitment to learning something that sometimes feels unnatural.

4. “Say something in Dutch then”

Similar to the reasons I gave for the English response, the Dutch do the same, only this time they really do want to catch you out and correct your poor pronunciation.

I had the Dutch test of saying the word “Scheveningen” which is how Dutch people figured out whether someone was actually Dutch or German in World War II.

This has happened to me on more than one occasion. Or the best is when they say, “Say this then…” and then judge you on your delivery of an insult to someone.

The best thing on those occasions for me is that 80% of the time I know I’m saying something rude, so the joke is just as much on them as it is on me!

5. They carry on in a lightning round of Dutch ⚡

They start speaking Dutch quickly and expect you to fully understand everything that is being said by everyone, like a native. 🙄

There is either that response or, indeed, a pop quiz on all the hard words, similar to the previous response.

The quiz is partly malicious in that it expects you to get it wrong and embarrass yourself (that’s normally my response. I feel the colour rising in my cheeks, and all of a sudden, EVERYBODY is looking at me).

What responses have you received when you say you’re learning Dutch? Tell us in the comments below!