Can you speak dutch

You will hear different sounds in Belgium compared to the Netherlands, especially the further north in the Netherlands you go. The Dutch are notorious for their harde G. The Dutch are also known for being more informal than the Belgian population. Expressions differ in both countries, for example: vast en zeker definitely in Dutch is zeker en vast in Belgium. The Dutch language came to Suriname when the capitol Paramaribo became a Dutch colony in the 17 th century.

To this day Dutch is the official language of the government, business, media and education in Suriname. Like the colonial history in Suriname, in these countries, also known as the Dutch Antilles, Dutch is the official language along with English or Papiamentu.

But there are more. What about South-Africa? If I talk with someone from South Africa, and he is speaking in his own language, I can fully understand him. The Dutch language of the settlers who came to Southern Africa has evolved into Afrikaans. Nowadays an estimated 90 to 95 percent of the vocabulary of Afrikaans is of Dutch origin. The biggest differences between the 2 languages is that Afrikaans has no grammatical gender and a simpler grammar.

You might be surprised to learn there are more countries where they speak Dutch. You might not expect it but there are quite a few Dutch speakers in Canada. A large group of Dutch people moved to Canada in the early 19th century as settlers. In the fifties, after the Second World War, a number of Dutch people immigrated to Canada to start a new life. These people took the Dutch language with them and passed it on to the next generation. And then we also need to mention the US.

The Netherlands has plenty of companies that do operate almost entirely in English examples below , but the majority of companies speak you guessed it! The job competition in the Netherlands can also be pretty intense, so even knowing some conversational Dutch can give you a huge leg-up on other candidates.

The Dutch are famous for having one of the best work-life balances in the world. The Netherlands has a thriving international community, and you can definitely find plenty of expat friends to form your inner circle.

But if you want to truly be part of Dutch life and all the quirks that come with it, you should try to learn the language. Learning Dutch is surprisingly fun, gives you a new skill, and — even if you can only order a coffee in Dutch — the locals will really appreciate it.

Ah yep, this is a biggie. Can that help you land a paycheck? The Netherlands is a very international country; there are more than nationalities represented in Amsterdam alone. With so many international companies, it makes sense that there is a lot of demand for languages other than English and Dutch. If you possess one of these languages you may just be in for a shot at a job! The epic guide to finding work in Amsterdam in It will need to be well-paid, obviously, with great colleagues, and perks galore.

If you find one — let us know where it is so we can join you. But in all seriousness, the Dutch job market can be competitive. Unless you work in a high demand field like tech or medicine , you may find it takes some time to find a perfect job in the Netherlands.

Here are some tips:. Not all CVs are created equal — and what flies in your home country may not be the Dutch way. De Nationale Vacaturebank, Monsterboard. If you want to make finding a job in the Netherlands a little easier, a recruitment company may just be your best bet. A good recruitment company, like Undutchables , can match you with the perfect job for your skills and experience. Are you ready to find a job in the Netherlands and speak Dutch?

Klaar om een baan in Nederland te vinden en Nederlands te spreken? Are you working in the Netherlands? Share your experiences in the comments below! The Netherlands has 16 million inhabitants and Dutch is the only official language of the country. Frisian is very close to English.

Dutch sometimes called Flemish has always been the mother tongue of the majority of people in Flanders, but it was not always recognised as such because Flanders was governed by many foreign rulers in the past. When the French took over in the 18 th century, Dutch was deliberately pushed aside. French was the language of the upper and middle classes and the ruling elite. In Dutch was finally granted official status, but as change was slow, it was decided in to make it the only language allowed in Flemish education and public life.

Nowadays, there are 6 million speakers of Dutch in Flanders The southern part of Belgium, Wallonia, remained entirely French-speaking and the capital, Brussels, is bilingual. Suriname has many local languages but Dutch is used as a language for different groups to communicate.

Most speak Sranan, an English based creole. Afrikaans, one of 11 official languages used in South Africa, has its roots in Dutch, as the Dutch set up trading posts there in the 17 th Century, when they were sailing to the East i. Settlers moved inland and so the language spread and was influenced and altered by other settlers and local languages.