Lesson 2 · Listen and pronounce

Words, words, words...

Work through a few words at a time. Watch and listen, pause, then say the word aloud. Repeat any word you find difficult.

Fortunately, there are also enjoyable aspects, particularly the sections with puzzles.

Start with short words. For example, vis means “fish”. It has three letters: v, i and s. Watch how the letters and sounds form the word.

The Dutch word 'vis' is composed of three letters: v, i, and s. The letters v and s are consonants, while i is a vowel. Through the video, learners are introduced to the sounds of the consonants v and s, as well as the vowel i. Ultimately, viewers can both see and hear how the word is spelled and pronounced.

vis

ik

tas

jas

Learn the phrase Ik wil cola. — “I want cola”. Ik means “I”, wil means “want”, and cola is what the person wants.

1. It starts with 'I'. The Dutch for 'I' is 'ik,' represented by a person pointing at themselves. This is a personal pronoun.
2. Next is 'want'. Being a verb, it's shown inside a circle.
3. After that, we see 'the object' we want. In this example, it's 'Cola,' a word that's the same internationally and needs no translation.

In a simple statement such as Ik wil cola., the subject comes first and the conjugated verb comes second. A sentence can also start with a time or place: Vandaag wil ik cola. The conjugated verb still occupies the second position.

The word wil comes from willen (to want). For now, practise Ik wil … as one useful phrase.

Now, watch the video.

ik wil cola

Once you know the construction of the sentence, you can easily adapt to indicate another wish.

ik wil ijs

kat

pet

pen

bal

man

pot

Try to recall the word before you play the recording. Say it aloud, listen and compare.

Find the Dutch words in the game below.

We are now presenting another exercise. Tap the play button to listen to the word. Do you recognize the word? Choose Show answer to check the word.

Guess the word, then choose Show answer