Dutch FluencyLesson 25 of 50 · A0 to A1 · Free
Family and relationships
Family words are not vocabulary. They are the people in your life.
Els turns fifty and you are invited: a circle of chairs, coffee, and a whole family to meet. Attach every word to a real face and you will not forget it.
12 minutes. No account needed for lesson 1. No rush.
25Today you will
- 1Name your whole family, from opa to kleinkind
- 2Survive a Dutch birthday circle, handshake included
- 3Learn the one word that means both cousin and nephew
- 4Hear the one vowel between in love and engaged
The 12 words you actually use
Dutch first, said out loud. Say each word before you flip the card, then check yourself. Every card speaks.
de vader
duh FAH-der
de vader
the father
Mijn vader heet Jan. My father is called Jan.
de moeder
duh MOO-der
de moeder
the mother
Mijn moeder lacht. My mother smiles.
de broer
duh BROOR
de broer
the brother
Mijn broer is groot. My brother is tall.
de zus
duh ZUS
de zus
the sister
Mijn zus woont hier. My sister lives here.
de opa
duh OH-pah
de opa
the grandfather
Opa drinkt koffie. Grandpa drinks coffee.
de oma
duh OH-mah
de oma
the grandmother
Oma is aardig. Grandma is kind.
het kind
ut KINT
het kind
the child
Het kind speelt. The child plays.
trap word
de neef
duh NAYF
de neef
the cousin / the nephew
Mijn neef heet Daan. My cousin is called Daan.
de nicht
duh NIKHT
de nicht
the cousin / the niece
Mijn nicht zegt hallo. My cousin says hello.
de vriendin
duh vreen-DIN
de vriendin
the friend / the girlfriend
Dit is een vriendin. This is a friend.
trap word
verliefd
ver-LEEFT
verliefd
in love
Ik ben verliefd. I am in love.
trouwen
TROW-uhn
trouwen
to marry
Wij trouwen morgen. We are getting married tomorrow.
de or het: the family edition
Nearly the whole family takes de. The two child words take het, just like het meisje from lesson 1. Learn each person together with their article, as one unit.
- de
- de vader · de moeder · de broer · de zus
- het
- het kind · het kleinkind
The d that sounds like t
Say verliefd. Hear the t at the end? A Dutch d at the end of a word always softens to t: goed sounds like goet, verliefd like verlieft. English quietly does the same in walked and stopped. Your mouth already knows this rule; now your eyes do too.
The birthday circle
Els turns fifty, and Noor is invited to her first real Dutch birthday. Read it once for the shape. Read it again out loud.
- 01
tap the Dutch to check yourself
- 02
tap the Dutch to check yourself
- 03
tap the Dutch to check yourself
- 04
tap the Dutch to check yourself
- 05
tap the Dutch to check yourself
- 06
tap the Dutch to check yourself
- 07
tap the Dutch to check yourself
- 08
tap the Dutch to check yourself
Helper words in this story
- bij at
- van of
- geeft een hand shakes hands
- zijn his
- met with
- speelt plays
- iedereen everyone
- de familie the family
- een beetje a little
Thirty seconds. Prove it.
Three words from this lesson. Answer before you doubt yourself.
Prove it · 1 of 3
de neef
All 20 words in this lesson
de zus
the sister
de opa
the grandfather
de oma
the grandmother
de tante
the aunt
de oom
the uncle
de neef
the cousin, the nephew
de nicht
the cousin, the niece
het kind
the child
het kleinkind
the grandchild
de vriend
the friend, the boyfriend
de vriendin
the friend, the girlfriend
de vader
the father
de moeder
the mother
de broer
the brother
de verkering
the relationship
verliefd
in love
verloofd zijn
to be engaged
trouwen
to marry
scheiden
to divorce
gescheiden zijn
to be divorced
Hear all 20, then say them back
The interactive lesson plays every word, walks the story line by line, records your voice next to a native one, and remembers the ones you find hard. Lesson 1 needs no account.
- I can introduce my father, mother, brother and sister
- I can explain who is who at a Dutch birthday circle
- I can hear the difference between een vriendin and mijn vriendin
- I can sort the family into de and het
- I can tell the whole story: verliefd, verloofd, trouwen
Fifty fifty. We build it. You show up.
