In Holland, or as its official name is, the Netherlands, they have their own language. Within this, we find different dialects, used in different areas of the country. Therefore, in this article, we give you interesting information about the official language of the country, as well as about the rest of the languages ​​that the Dutch can speak.

Below you have an index with all the points that we are going to deal with in this article.

Official language

The official language of the Netherlands or the Netherlands is Dutch or nederlands. However, in Spanish it is also known as Dutch, although officially this word refers to a dialect of Dutch.



This language is of Germanic origin and uses the Latin alphabet. It is the mother tongue of around 23 million of people, as it is also used in former colonies and islands that still belong to the Netherlands. It is also the second language for five million people.

The Dutch-speaking territories, in addition to the European zone of the Netherlands, are as follows:

  • Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and Sint Marteen (Dutch island territory)
  • Flanders and Brussels (Belgium)
  • Suriname

Dutch has several dialects. In general, the set of northern dialects is known as Dutch and, to the south, like Flemish, although there are numerous varieties. On the other hand, in Friesland we find a co-official language: Friesian. Limburgish is also used in some areas.

Here are some basic words translated into Dutch:

  • Hello: Hey
  • Goodbye: Bye
  • Please: Alsjeblift
  • Thank you: Dank heh
  • You're welcome: Graaggedaan
  • Si: Yes
  • No: No.

In the following video, you can listen to some phrases in Dutch and check how it is pronounced:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrF3vfVh-MQ

Other languages

Besides Dutch, there are other languages ​​that a significant part of the population knows. This is advantageous for tourists visiting the country or immigrants who decide to move here.

In the following table we can see the percentage of the Dutch population that speaks these languages:



LanguagePercentage
English90%
German71%
French29%
Spanish5%

In relation to this, 94% of the total population is capable of speaking at least one foreign language, while 77% knows two. Therefore, the Dutch have a great knowledge of languages.

If you are thinking of going to live in the Netherlands and you don't know if you can work without knowing the language of the country, you should know that for some jobs it is not needed, since, as we have said, a large part of the population can speak English. However, it is advisable to learn Dutch, as it will open more doors for you and allow you to live more comfortably in the country.

On the other hand, if you don't know Dutch or English, it's quite complicated find a job, so you must have an acceptable level of at least one of the two languages. If you want to study either of these two languages ​​there, you will find several language schools. You also have the option to learn them online.

Questions from users

What language is spoken in Amsterdam? And in Rotterdam?

In Amsterdam the majority of the population speaks both Dutch and English. Some even know other foreign languages. The same is true in Rotterdam.

Does the Dutch language exist?

Strictly Dutch is a dialect of Dutch. However, generally, when the word Dutch, is to refer to the latter, the official language of the Netherlands.

Is it difficult to learn Dutch?

Most people think of it as a rather difficult language due in part to its grammar. However, if you know German, it is easier thanks to the similarities between the two.

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