Welkom bij jouw Nederlandse avontuur!

Welcome to My Dutch Adventures — your very own Dutch podcast, made just for you.

I am so excited that you are here.

Whether you are listening on your bike ride through Amsterdam, cooking something delicious in your kitchen, or maybe just relaxing with Tulip on your lap and a stroopwafel within arm's reach — this is your time to learn Dutch.

So, who is this podcast for?

It is for you — a software developer living in Amsterdam, surrounded by Dutch colleagues, Dutch streets, and yes, probably a Dutch schoonmoeder who would absolutely love it if you tried a few words.

Your goals are real and relatable: order a coffee without switching to English, and survive a conversation without panicking.

Totally doable.

We are going to get you there, one episode at a time.

Let us start with something you will use every single day in Amsterdam.

The café.

In Dutch, a café is called...

a café.

Great start, right?

But what happens when you walk in?

The person behind the counter might say: Kan ik u helpen?

That means: Can I help you?

And you, cool and confident, can reply: Ja, graag.

Ik wil een koffie, alsjeblieft.

That means: Yes, please.

I would like a coffee, please.

Let us break that down.

Ja means yes.

Graag means gladly or please — it is a very Dutch way to be polite.

Ik wil means I want or I would like.

Een koffie is a coffee.

And alsjeblieft — ah, this is a big one — it means please, but also here you go when someone hands you something.

You will hear alsjeblieft constantly in Amsterdam.

Practice it.

Alsjeblieft.

Now here is a little grammar moment — do not worry, it is a small one.

In Dutch, the verb almost always comes in the second position in a sentence.

So you say: Ik wil een koffie.

Subject first — Ik — then the verb — wil — then the rest.

This is called the V2 rule, or verb-second word order.

English actually does this too most of the time, so it will feel familiar.

The tricky part comes later with longer sentences, but for now, just remember: verb in second place.

Ik wil, jij wilt, hij wil.

I want, you want, he wants.

Okay, let us recap the vocabulary from today.

Write these down, or just listen a few times — whatever works for you.

Ja — yes.

Nee — no.

Graag — gladly, with pleasure.

Ik wil — I want or I would like.

Een koffie — a coffee.

Alsjeblieft — please, or here you are.

Bedankt — thank you.

And one bonus word: gezellig — this beautiful Dutch word means cozy, convivial, warm and pleasant.

Amsterdam is very gezellig, and honestly, so is this podcast.

You now have everything you need to walk into a café in Amsterdam and order your coffee in Dutch.

Next time, we are going to build on this — we will talk about introducing yourself at work, so you can finally impress your colleagues with more than just your coding skills.

Tot de volgende keer — until next time.

En bedankt voor het luisteren — and thank you for listening.

Tulip would be proud.