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Introduction to Dutch:
Lesson 2

By Linas

Dutch for we is we.

Dutch for to do is doen.

For all the plural forms (we, you guys and they) you don’t need to change the infinitive (in this case the word doen) in any way to use it.

Also it is worth noting that there is no distinction between we are doing it and we do it in Dutch: you say we do it in both cases. Say it:

We are doing it.

Answer: We doen het.
Not correct. Please try again.

Let’s learn saying the negative too:

Dutch for not is niet.

Whenever you have short general words like het (it), hier (here) and whatnot, you usually put them in front of niet. That doesn’t work with longer/not general words like water, cats, etc.

We aren’t doing it.

Answer: We doen het niet.
Not correct. Please try again.

Remember the word for are which we mentioned in the last lesson...

are

Answer: zijn
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Putting not last (we are here not), say:

We are not here.

Answer: We zijn hier niet.
Not correct. Please try again.

This other word is very close to the word have.

Dutch for to have is hebben.

The word order is we have it not:

We don’t have it.

Answer: We hebben het niet.
Not correct. Please try again.

Dutch for because is want.

We don’t have it because we are cats.

Answer: We hebben het niet want we zijn katten.
Not correct. Please try again.

Dutch for to want is willen.

We want it because we don’t have it.

Answer: We willen het want we hebben het niet.
Not correct. Please try again.

You have the word niet for not. If you add s to the end, you get the word niets which means nothing. Say:

We want it because we have nothing.

Answer: We willen het want we hebben niets.
Not correct. Please try again.

We want nothing.

Answer: We willen niets.
Not correct. Please try again.

If instead of adding a letter to the end of the word you remove a letter from its beginning, you get the word iets which means something.

We have something here.

Answer: We hebben iets hier.
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Right. Then you could learn another word:

Dutch for they is ze.

How would you say:

They have something.

Answer: Ze hebben iets.
Not correct. Please try again.

We have something because they have nothing.

Answer: We hebben iets want ze hebben niets.
Not correct. Please try again.

This would be a good time to end this lesson but I would like to teach you one of my favorite words in Dutch before that:

Dutch for you guys (or you all, you (plural)) is jullie.

You use this word when you are talking to more than one person. I will refer to this word as you guys because I like this expression but it doesn’t have to be so informal like you guys is.

You guys don’t have it.

Answer: Jullie hebben het niet.
Not correct. Please try again.

One more question:

What are you guys doing here?

Answer: Wat doen jullie hier?
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Okay. Before we go I want to teach you two more words which you almost know already:

Dutch for to work is werken.

Werk, work... whatever. Say:

We work here.

Answer: We werken hier.
Not correct. Please try again.

What about:

Do you guys work here?

Answer: Werken jullie hier?
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Dutch for where is waar.

Where, waar - pretty similar too. Say:

Where do you guys work?

Answer: Waar werken jullie?
Not correct. Please try again.

What about:

Where is Amsterdam?

Answer: Waar is Amsterdam?
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I’m going to let you guess the word for in (hint: no guessing needed) and say:

We work in Amsterdam.

Answer: We werken in Amsterdam.
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Amsterdam is here.

Answer: Amsterdam is hier.
Not correct. Please try again.