There are general guidelines for producing a sound Dutch sentence but the easiest way to master it is to read a lot of Dutch. koortsig, ambtenaar, Delftse, erwten, startten. We start with the prepositions: Now pick a few dozen words and divide them into syllables. Dutch Grammar. It’s a fact that grammar is a language’s most important aspect for understanding how it literally … This website not only gives you the correct spelling of a word but also indicates where to divide it into syllables. The same goes for the conjugation of Dutch regular verbs. "Ease of pronunciation" This is what we do in general but if the next syllable starts with a sequence … Another hurdle for Dutch learners is the pronunciation. You can navigate through the grammar chapters by using the menu on the left side of this screen. They have the same distinctions for masculine, feminine and neuter and for first, second and third person. > BreadCrumbs. Download this site's grammar reference in PDF-format (355 pages). Although the Dutch complain a lot about the spelling rules, the spelling system is really quite simple and clear-cut compared to many other languages (English, for one!). Just how difficult you find it depends on where you come from. //2007-06-01: leftbar125 Dutch An Essential Grammar 9th edition Dutch: An Essential Grammaris a reference guide to the most important aspects of modern Dutch as it is used by native speakers. Dutch is a Germanic language, which means it has a lot in common with languages like German, English, Danish, and Swedish. The guttural g is easier for Spanish or Arabic speakers than for English or Japanese speakers. These are the directions for dividing a word into syllables. //2007-06-01: rightbar600 This new edition of the book presents a fresh and accessible description of the Dutch language, supported throughout by diagrams, illustrations and lively examples. Dutch is also the official language of Surinam. Dutch Grammar Rules: Nouns, Articles And Gender Exceptions This is a very confusing topic for many. But Dutch learners almost unanimously agree that u ui and eu are by far the most difficult sounds to master. In general, they consider combinations like rts, mbt, lfts or rwt hard to pronounce. This means that you do not need to use different articles or adjectives for subjects and objects. If you cannot find what you are looking for, do not hesitate to post your question on the Dutch Grammar Forum. What a Dutch speaker may find impossible to pronounce, may not be a challenge for someone with a different mother tongue. In Dutch grammar, nouns are either masculine, feminine or neuter. Approximately 23 million people in Belgium and the Netherlands have Dutch as their mother tongue, which makes Dutch the seventh language in the European Union. If two vowels are separated by only one consonant, the consonant forms the beginning of the second syllable. The grammatical rules below are the most important in Dutch and help connect words or shape the structure. Spelling and pronunciation Click here to learn more. A good exercise: visit the website of a Dutch language newspaper, e.g. google_ad_channel = "0072708056";google_color_border = "e2f1fe";google_color_bg = "e2f1fe";google_color_link = "000000";google_color_url = "336699";google_color_text = "333333";font_size = "large". You are here: The difficulty of Dutch Dutch has a reputation for being difficult and people trying to learn Dutch often get stuck on the spelling and grammar rules. We do the same with words that are derived from nouns or verbs: vergeetachtig = vergeet + achtig (forgetful = forget+ful). You can read more about what Dutch speakers find difficult to pronounce in our forum topic:  Syllables. There are a few general guidelines for dividing a Dutch word into syllables. You can listen to their sounds on this website but the key to getting familiar with the Dutch sounds is exposure. Dutch grammar is so broad and complex that there are always exceptions to several rules that normal should be taken into account for better mastering the language. So what do Dutch speakers find difficult to pronounce?