Learning Dutch

I'm learning dutch.  I will learn to read, write and speak it.

There are some similarities between the dutch and english languages that make it seem easy to understand, and there are some similarities that make it a little confusing.   On a personal level, I'm really glad that I was enrolled in French Immersion throughout elementary and highschool.  I took two German classes in highschool, one French course in University, and through studying music I have become familiar with some italian.  I have always loved languages, learning the rules of a new language, and trying to perfect it.

As I've been trying to "fit in" here, I do like hearing dutch conversations, and sometimes, when a dutch-speaker is trying to explain something to me in english, they use the dutch word.  On several occasions, I've been able to figure it out because the word is related to a word in either english, french or german.  This has been really handy, but it's only a few words, and it doesn't help me communicate in dutch, it only helps me understand a little better.

Through this process, though, I'm discovering how little I know about the english language.  They say that you learn the most when you're the teacher right?  Well, before I came over here, I thought I would be the english-speaker who would be able to help some others speak english.  However, it turns out that  I have a LOT to learn about the English language.... shoot!  I know that in highschool, my teachers always joked that the French Immersion students always had the worst english grammar, and I'm sure I was no exception, but I am sometimes ashamed when I don't actually know the english word.  So I'm inspired to not only learn dutch, but also to improve my english vocabulary, and my knowledge of the english language.  I would have never expected that!  Anyways, that's for later; for now, I'm working on dutch.

For all the English readers, here's a game... it's called "guess the word."  NO google translate.... just guess!

Tips:

"v" is pronounced like the english "f"

"ui" in dutch sounds like the "ou" in "out"

"j" is pronounced like the english "y" as in "you"

Guess the word:

1) klok

2) huis

3) uit

4) vis

5) jong

6) eet

7) vrij

8) sok

9) onder

10) vader

11) Bonus: ziekenhuis

French-speakers:

12) paraplu

13) plafond

14) muur

German-speakers:

15) spiegel

16) kamer

17) slecht

Confusing things:

of = or

later = ago (in the past)

wil = wants