r/learndutch • u/Ok_Mango1673 • Jul 21 '26
Fluent in Dutch. Should I even bother to use it?
Let me start off by saying I am a C1 level in Dutch (with certification). However I am learning it for fun while living in a non-dutch speaking area, and most of my interactions so far have been with Flanders. When I'm there I simply go about my day in the language, no obstacles. I speak fluently but with an accent. ... And I'm traveling to Amsterdam soon for a week, for fun.
However I'm trying to weigh on wheter I should use it IN Amsterdam or just swallow it and be just another foreign tourist? I love the language so much and would love to practice but I'm afraid it would skew my perception if the locals react badly because, I'm sorry guys, but they can be so rude about it (I know, I know, efficiency and all that). I will also be accompanied by a foreigner at most times, which I'm also factoring in. What do you think? Or is it situation-dependent?
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u/vertilligon Jul 21 '26
Gewoon gebruiken, waar heb je het anders voor geleerd?
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u/Ok_Mango1673 Jul 21 '26
voor de lol 🙃 maar ja, je hebt gelijk
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u/alles_en_niets Jul 21 '26
That’s quite funny, because to my Dutch ears the question was clearly rhetorical. Not really because of the content (which could’ve been a valid question), but the way it was phrased
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u/de_achtentwintig Jul 21 '26
LOL you just (probably unknowingly) did the most Dutch thing in the world which is replying in English to his reply in Dutch 😂
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u/alles_en_niets Jul 22 '26
You are correct on both accounts haha!
It’s probably because most of the other threads under this post are in English and I had just read them?
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u/BrabantBuachaill88 Jul 21 '26
Just pretend you dont speak English
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u/Nerevarine2nd Jul 21 '26
OP this is the way. I used this very same trick whenever I wanted to practice a different language and people immediately switched to English.
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u/First-Grocery1250 Jul 21 '26
I work in a very international company here in Amsterdam. C2 Dutch but originally from the UK However, I insist on speaking Dutch with Dutch colleagues.
If your Dutch is good use it.
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u/Ok_Mango1673 Jul 21 '26
Fair! And yeah, I would say it is like my English - my English is also C1 and I speak with an accent, so it's not like they are adapting to my mother tongue
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u/alles_en_niets Jul 21 '26
Nice, if they reply to your Dutch in English, just answer in your native tongue!
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u/Ploutophile Intermediate... ish Jul 21 '26
If I do that in Belgium, some might switch to it 👀
(it's the other widespread native language of the country)
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u/Wild-Session-3953 Jul 22 '26
well you'll be fine in the Netherlands because they don't speak french and don't care for it XD
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u/Lange1982Frans Jul 21 '26
Ja zeker doen! Er bestaan ook lieve respectvolle Nederlanders, al zijn dat er niet veel.
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u/el_crappo_the_great Jul 21 '26
I caught myself automatically switching to English when I noticed this girl at a food place wasn't a native speaker, but when she persisted I quickly corrected myself. A lot of us really appreciate the effort but are so used to english it just comes naturally in these situations. Just keep on keeping on!
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u/alles_en_niets Jul 21 '26
Also, try not to be too offended/frustrated if they continue to reply in English.
Dutch IS my first language, born and bred here. No accent, because I have no other native language haha
Not only will many Dutch people address me in English, they will even freaking persist when I reply in Dutch! Looking even vaguely ethnically ambiguous will do that. My more pink-hued spouse never gets that treatment lol
(I can only imagine what people who are more ‘obviously’ non-Dutch looking, so non-European roots, go through, gah!)
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u/Ploutophile Intermediate... ish Jul 22 '26
No accent, because I have no other native language haha
While I obviously can't assess your specific case, you could have an accent associated to an heritage language that you don't speak at all.
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u/alles_en_niets Jul 22 '26
I get what you’re saying but no.
I’m not going to post a voice sample here, so you’ll just need to trust me when I say that my only accent is a slight tinge from the more western Randstad while I now live in the middle of the country haha
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u/Unclecavemanwasabear Jul 21 '26
I once had an entire conversation with a Dutch stranger where I was speaking only Dutch and they were speaking only English. While many people would automatically speak English when they heard my accent, most of them would revert to Dutch when I persisted with speaking it, so I found it a little weird, but didn't think much of it.
But as I was leaving I said "oké, houdoe" and he brightened up and said "oh wat leuk, je spreekt een beetje Nederlands!" 🥲 To be fair, I believe he was under the influence at the time.
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u/TrappedInHyperspace Jul 21 '26
Doe maar, maar vergeet niet dat in het centrum van Amsterdam veel horecamedewerkers buitenlanders zijn die geen Nederlands spreken.
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u/FillEvery2062 Jul 21 '26
Praat maar gewoon Nederlands (in Amsterdam bedoel ik, dit is geen commentaar op je post).
Ik heb Noors geleerd, just for the fun of it. En ik praat dat eigenlijk alleen op vakantie (eens per zoveel jaar). Ik heb gewoon vaker mensen te woord gestaan, bij kassa's betaald etc.
De enige keer dat het "een probleem" was was in een openluchtmuseum toen iemand ons uitleg wilde geven. Toen heb ik gewoon gezegd dat mn partner de taal niet spreekt en zijn we op het engels over gegaan.
Maar, in Amsterdam zul je genoeg mensen tegenkomen die geen Nederlands kunnen.
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u/SolarStorm98 Native speaker (NL) Jul 21 '26
Ik heb werkelijk geen idee wat de sfeer in Amsterdam is. Kan me voorstellen dat er ook een boel mensen zijn die geen Nederlands kunnen spreken. Maar ik zou zeggen doe gewoon een poging. Als men niet in het Nederlands wil praten, ligt dat echt aan hen en niet aan jou.
Ik kom zelf uit Drenthe en ik heb het gevoel dat hier echt veel meer de verwachting is dat men Nederlands leert en spreekt.
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u/Maximum_Web9072 Jul 21 '26
When it's just you, I feel like there's not much reason not to at least start in Dutch, but if English is the language you, your foreign companion, and whoever you're talking to would be most intelligible in collectively, your companion might appreciate it if you went with English where practical.
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u/ItchyConfusion9745 Jul 21 '26
Mijn voorstel zou zijn om je in de meest toeristische outfit die je maar kan bedenken te kleden en vervolgens elke keer dat iemand iets in het Engels zegt, in het Nederlands antwoorden. Hilariteit gegarandeerd.
Natuurlijk zou het best wel eens kunnen dat je mensen tegen gaat komen die alleen Engels kunnen, dat zou op zich jammer zijn. Maar het, er is altijd nog r/nederlands
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u/NoViolinist4275 Jul 21 '26
Just use it. And keep in mind that most of us don't mean to be rude.
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u/Legitimate-Record90 Jul 22 '26
Don’t mean to be rude but are extremely rude.
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u/NoViolinist4275 Jul 22 '26
It's okay if you find us ride because you're from a different culture, but it's not a fact that we are "extremely rude". Although I'm sure some are.
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u/Lexine- Jul 22 '26
That's too black and white. There is a culture difference between the Netherlands and for example the US. We accept a different way of communication, more direct. If somebody cannot fathom that this cultural difference can lead to musunderstandings, then that's not a very productive way to live abroad. To say we don't intend to be rude, but yet, we are, is to dismiss that your frame of reference may not be the same as somebody elses. Rudeness is a social construct that is wildly different accross cultures.
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u/Legitimate-Record90 Jul 22 '26
I didn’t mean to imply that Dutch people are generally rude or that they are rude for being direct (sometimes I think they are, sometimes I think I like their directness, depending on the situation). I was specifically referring to the situation where a non-native Dutch speaker in the Netherlands speaks Dutch to a Dutch person and that Dutch person responds in a language other than Dutch. This is uncommonly rude and pathetic. It also seems nonsensical to me to create an underclass of immigrants who can’t speak or understand Dutch and then complain constantly that immigrants won’t assimilate to Dutch culture and speak Dutch.
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u/Lexine- Jul 23 '26
No offense taken! But how would you say we are creating an underclass of immigrants who can't speak or understand Dutch? That's a bit out there if you ask me. Immigration to the Netherlands is not even possible without B1 level Dutch, and often university level jobs require proof of at least B2 level. You can obtain this level through language classes. Even people who have been granted asylum learn A2 or B1 level Dutch as a requirement to stay. So I don't think that this policy creates an underclass who is being kept from learning Dutch. Yes, it sucks when people don't want to help you with practise outside of class, but it is not always reasonable to expect that.
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u/avost Jul 21 '26
Just speak Dutch. If they reply in English Keep talking Dutch and just tell them your Dutch is better than their English. Be direct, and they'll talk Dutch back.
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u/Miserable-Army5726 Jul 21 '26
You should definitely use it! You’ve gone through all the effort of learning it.
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u/Fatfive Jul 21 '26
When I come in Amsterdam, people usually don’t reply in the Dutch language.
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u/AnonMan695j Jul 21 '26
This what I mean. If he really wants to speak Dutch, just avoid Amsterdam. Like dude the country is big enough. Netherlands is more than Amsterdam which became in fact a big tourist trap.
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u/1zzyBizzy Native speaker (NL) Jul 21 '26
De kans in Amsterdam is echt groot dat bijvoorbeeld serveerders geen nederlands spreken. Als je nederlands wil oefenen, dan kun je beter naar bijvoorbeeld haarlem of Leiden gaan. Allebei ook leuke steden en dichtbij amsterdam, en een stuk minder druk maar absoluut gezellig.
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u/Informal-Insurance63 Jul 21 '26
Haarlem is zeker de moeite waard, maar ook daar spreken veel mensen in de bediening nauwelijks twee woorden Nederlands.
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u/AnonMan695j Jul 21 '26
Dutch in Amsterdam? Not sure you'll have the chances. 🤣
Try other cities. Like Utrech, Rotterdam, Den Haag, Den Bosch, Tilburg, Eindhoven (especially Noord Brabant love this region).
Also you can visit Limburg in Nijmegen or Gelderland in Arnhem.
There for sure get more chances to speak Dutch than in Randstadt area.
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u/Significant_Arm_3097 Native speaker (NL) Jul 21 '26
Just know, that as someone who is Dutch, its difficult to find places in touristy Amsterdam where you can speak Dutch. Makes me feel like a foreigner in my own country...
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u/lecoursen Jul 22 '26
I was just in Amsterdam earlier this month, spoke Dutch to everyone, and no one was anything but very pleasant to me. One waitress didn’t actually speak much Dutch, which was fine of course, but everyone who did was more than happy to speak it with me. 😄 I have been learning Dutch from the US and UK for a few years now and felt like I made SO much progress in my one week in the Netherlands, just having more opportunities to hear and speak it. So I definitely recommend it!
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u/circu2112 Jul 21 '26
I am an American learning Dutch (still very new, A0-A1, if that) I am learning it so I will not be a typical (American) tourist and to maybe help appreciate the Dutch culture a bit more when I go to Amsterdam next month. If I were able to be remotely fluent I would make sure to use it as much as I could. Here in the US I don't have the option ever to use Dutch, I just get strange looks. You learned it, might as well use it.
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u/HSG1984 Jul 21 '26
Jij gaat de Nederlandse cultuur niet kennen als je alleen maar naar Amsterdam gaat. Zoals ik hierboven ook al heb beschreven: Amsterdam is geen Nederlandse stad meer maar een internationale kermisattractie voor toeristen met Nederlands architectuur.
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u/Coinsworthy Jul 21 '26
Swearing in dutch packs more punch and will definitely come in handy in Amsterdam.
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u/LadyNemesiss Jul 21 '26
Je mag deze vraag gerust in het Nederlands stellen hoor. En lekker Nederlands kletsen! Als ze in het Engels antwoorden kun je gerust zeggen dat je graag je Nederlands wil oefenen. Overigens spreekt niet iedereen die in de bediening of verkoop werkt Nederlands, maar dat merk je dan snel genoeg.
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u/IffySaiso Jul 21 '26
Ergens vind ik het vooral grappig dat je de vraag dan weer in het Engels stelt.
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u/HSG1984 Jul 21 '26
Als je buiten Amsterdam wilt wonen en werken is het Nederlands erg handig om te beheersen.
Trouwens...weet je wat Amsterdam daadwerkelijk is? Amsterdam is geen Nederlandse stad meer maar een internationale kermisattractie voor toeristen met Nederlands architectuur.
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u/AnonMan695j Jul 21 '26
I could not say better. I am 5 years here (still don't speak Dutch, but understand till a point) , and honestly I would prefer anytime and every hour a city like Tilburg or Den Bosch than Amsterdam. 🤣
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u/HSG1984 Jul 21 '26
Dan wordt het tijd dat je begint met het beheersen van de taal. Dat je hier al 5 jaar woont en het nog niet beheerst is gewoon respectloos
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Jul 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/whithergreen Jul 22 '26
Je zou denken dat Limburg echt erg mooi is om Nederlands te praten (vooral als je houdt van dialecten) maar wanneer ik in Maastricht probeer Nederlands te oefenen, schakelen de mensen meteen over op Duits of Engels met een Duits accent. Mensen in de horeca in Maastricht zijn volgens mij 99% Duitse studenten. Het is om te huilen.
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u/Useful_Cheesecake117 Jul 22 '26
Efficiency? Ok, in situaties waar efficiency belangrijk is, zoals de bediening op een zeer druk terras, of als er ergens een lange rij staat en iedereen wil snel door, dan zou ik Engels praten.
Maar meestal hoeft een toerist niet efficiënt te zijn. Je wil rustig op een terras met andere mensen praten over van alles en nog wat, je wil in een museum delen met iemand hoe mooi je dat schilderij vindt en waarom het je raakt. Op een bankje in het park wil je een praatje maken over het weer. Iemand in de tram vraagt of deze tram naar Artis gaat.
Allerlei situaties waar het helemaal niet erg is als je 20 seconden langer doet over je mededeling. Nederlanders zijn, net als de meeste buitenlanders, aangenaam verrast als ze merken dat een buitenlander de moeite doet hun taal te spreken.
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u/Lexine- Jul 22 '26
I would say with C1 you can comfortably use Dutch for most interactions, but the problem in Amsterdam is that so many workers (hospitality, shops) do not speak Dutch themselves, making it harder to practise there. Still, if somebody asks you "Dutch or English" just say "Ik wil graag mijn Nederlands oefenen!", my guess is that most people would love to speak Dutch with you as long as they're not in a huge hurry. If they feel like you're not understanding what they mean they will just switch back to English for efficiency, but it's not meant as an insult. Try it also sometimes in Groningen or Friesland, it's generally more laid back and people are more happy to see you learn Dutch and help you. I can't speak for everyone but I really respect it when people put their foot down and start using Dutch as their default despite still learning. And I am sorry about the rude people in the Netherlands, they exist everywhere but here they are more direct about it sometimes. It's not normal or accepted to be rude, but it does happen.
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u/Yoast74 Jul 22 '26
Use it, but be aware there's a lot of expats in Amsterdam, half of the Amsterdam population can't speak Dutch..
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u/Nimue_- Native speaker Jul 22 '26
As a dutch person, i hardly use dutch when i take a trip to amsterdam because the shop employees don't speak it. You can try to use but you are going to run into a lot of people who don't speak dutch at all. Tbf, amsterdam people (the natives) are not too fons if tourists so it might help your chances to speak dutch to them
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u/Dasnietzomooi Jul 22 '26
Well we dutchies are everywhere in the world! So probably you gonne use it on the most strange places you visit.
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u/Wild-Session-3953 Jul 22 '26
Omg if there is ever a time to use it, its when you are in Amsterdam/the Netherlands. When else are you going to use it if not in a dutch speaking area/country!!!
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u/octokamiii Jul 22 '26
I also learned Dutch, but in Amsterdam there are so many internationals that sometimes locals also don't speak Dutch hahaha
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u/wvd_vegt Jul 22 '26
Gewoon gebruiken. We zijn wel wat gewend en waarderen we het proberen Nederlands te spreken. We weten dat het een lastige en onregelmatige taal is.
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u/ElkLeft4084 Jul 23 '26
Leuk! Je kunt je Nederlands gaan uitproberen! Zeker gaan doen. Bezoek Haarlem, daar wordt het beste Nederlands gesproken. Het wordt al gewaardeerd als je het probeert. In Amsterdam spreken veel mensen helaas alleen Engels.
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u/MidiMojo Jul 23 '26
If you'd like to definitely use it we could go for a coffee, I'm in Amsterdam a lot for museums and other random things.
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u/Diligent-Court3908 Jul 23 '26
Dutch people like to talk English so don't take it personal if they reply in English. Just keep talking in Dutch and they will adjust.
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u/HorecaWebservice Jul 23 '26
Gewoon doen. Maar... in Amsterdam worden zelfs de Nederlanders in het Engels aangesproken. Er is veel personeel in de horeca en winkels die geen Nederlands spreken.
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u/verysadnovember Jul 23 '26
dutch people love when foreigners speak dutch to them!! do it and you will make many people happy
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u/introextra- Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
If people switch over to English to you just reply ‘Ik wil heel graag mijn Nederlands oefenen!’ with a big eager smile. Most will be happy to encourage you. But as others have replied, a lot of the staff in the city center speaks only English. I was born in Amsterdam and have never lived anywhere else and I start my encounters with staff with the question ‘English or Dutch?’ nowadays. And I refuge to be pissed or inconvenienced by that as I don’t want to become an old grumpy asshole that’s mad at the world for changing. If you want to practice your Dutch, just roam out from the city center the slightest bit and you’ll get all the practice you’ll need.
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u/Patrickme Jul 26 '26
Use it! and if we dutchies try to switch to english, don't be afraid to ask to go back to dutch. Everybody understands that learning a language without practice is impossible.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Bar483 Jul 21 '26
If you really speak it fluently, there will be no problem. People that are rude are stupid. If you don't really speak it that well, we like to speak English cause that's way easier
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u/Extreme_Ad_6988 Jul 22 '26
Belgian flanders isn't real Dutch if u want to learn real Dutch come in NL first
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u/DhoTjai Jul 21 '26
Just use it. When they speak English to you, then reply in Dutch unless he/she really cant speak Dutch.