How to learn Dutch
Start with the most common words, use them for something, and meet them again a few days later. Ten minutes a day beats one long evening a week. Save the Dutch is a free adventure game that works this way, from your very first word.
Where to start
- Common words first. A few hundred everyday words carry a large share of simple Dutch. Learn those before anything rare.
- Learn each noun with de or het. Dutch has two words for “the”: de kat (the cat), het huis (the house). Learn the article as part of the word.
- Test yourself instead of rereading. Trying to remember a word fixes it far better than looking at it again.
- Come back after a day, then after a few days. A word met once is soon forgotten. A word met again at growing intervals stays.
- Listen early. Spelling is fairly regular, but g, ui and ij need your ears, not only your eyes.
- Use the words. A word you need for something, to ask, to help or to get somewhere, sticks better than a word on a list.
Is Dutch hard for English speakers?
Dutch is one of the easiest languages for English speakers. Both are West Germanic, and many words are close: water, hand, appel, boek (book), huis (house). The US Foreign Service Institute puts Dutch in its easiest group, at about 24 to 30 weeks of full-time study. The harder parts are the sounds, the de and het articles, and word order: the verb often moves to the end of the sentence.
Learning Dutch with a game
In Save the Dutch you play Riki, a raccoon whose best friend is Dutch, a duck from the Netherlands. To help his friend and the animals of the valley, Riki needs Dutch words. Every word you learn does something in the story within minutes.
There are no exercises, no lives and no scores. A wrong answer just means you try again. You answer by pressing a number key, picking a word you have saved, or typing the word, and you can flip any word to see what it means in your own language. Animals are called by their Dutch names, so the rabbit is Konijn, and every friend you make is a word you keep.
The first season takes you from no Dutch at all to your first steps at level A1. The game is new: the first quests are out, and more keep coming.
Free game for Windows and Mac
Questions
Is Save the Dutch free?
Yes. You download it from itch.io at no cost.
Who is it for?
Children from about six years old, and adults who like to play.
Do I need to know any Dutch?
No. The game starts from zero.
Which languages can I play in?
Finnish, English, German, Swedish, Russian and Ukrainian. Spanish is coming.
What do I need to play?
A Windows or Mac computer, a mouse and a keyboard.
Who makes it?
Konstantin Nikkari at Raccoonbox, a small studio in Finland.