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Introduction to Dutch:
Lesson 4

By Linas

Do you still remember the word for a?

a

Answer: een
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The word for not a (or not any) is almost the same:

Dutch for not any is geen.

Whenever you want to say you don’t have, do or whatever something, you use this word.

Dutch for time is tijd.

When you are saying I don’t have time or I have no time you are actually saying I have not any time. This would be:

I don’t have any time.

Answer: Ik heb geen tijd.
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How would you say:

We don’t have a cat.

Answer: We hebben geen kat.
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Haven’t you any water?

Answer: Heb jij geen water?
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The Dutch word for he has should be hebt but there is a small exception for the he/she/it/u form and it is a bit different:

Dutch for has is heeft.

How would you say has he that:

Does he have that?

Answer: Heeft hij dat?
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Dutch for friend is vriend.

If you want to say he doesn’t have any friends you must say he has not any friend. Say:

He doesn’t have any friends.

Answer: Hij heeft geen vriend.
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If you remember the Dutch word for she is just the same as the word for they: ze. Say:

She has a friend.

Answer: Zij heeft een vriend.
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Good. Now look at this:

Dutch for the day is good is de dag is goed.

All the words are related to those in English. How would you say:

The time is good.

Answer: De tijd is goed.
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What about:

This friend is good.

Answer: Dit vriend is goed.
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Dutch for warm is warm.

Say:

The day is warm.

Answer: De dag is warm.
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If you want to put the adverb in front and say a warm day or a good day instead, you have to put e after the adverb.

Try:

It is a warm day.

Answer: Het is een warme dag.
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He is a good friend.

Answer: Hij is een goede vriend.
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There is, however, another word for the:

The other Dutch word for the is het.

It is the same as the word for it. This het word is used for things that are of the neuter gender. You sometimes have to learn which article - de or het - a word uses but there also are some rules that help you.

One example of a het word is the word for house:

Dutch for the house is het huis.

The house is warm.

Answer: Het huis is warm.
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The warm house is good.

Answer: Het warme huis is goed.
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Nice. Let’s learn nice:

Dutch for nice is mooi.

The house is nice.

Answer: Het huis is mooi.
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Also very is a good word to learn:

Dutch for very is heel.

Say:

The house is very nice.

Answer: Het huis is heel mooi.
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I want a very nice house.

Answer: Ik wil een heel mooie huis.
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Let’s finally remember that:

Dutch for but is maar.

Say:

They want a very nice house but they don’t have it.

Answer: Ze willen een heele mooie huis maar ze hebben het niet.
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See you in the last lesson!