Japanese for Dutch Speakers: What’s Easier and What to Watch

If you speak Dutch, you already know something important about Japanese: the verb can wait until the end. Dutch subordinate clauses put the verb last (…omdat ik koffie drink), and Japanese does this in every sentence (コーヒーを飲みます). You’ll also find Dutch words inside Japanese, left from centuries of trade, such as ビール (bier) and ランドセル (ransel). The harder parts are particles, short pure vowels, the Japanese r, pitch, polite speech and the writing system.

What gives you a head start

Verb at the end. Dutch speakers are used to holding the verb until the end of a clause, which makes Japanese word order less of a shock than it is for English speakers. See Japanese sentence structure.
Dutch loanwords. From the Edo period, when Dutch traders were the only Europeans allowed to trade with Japan, Japanese kept words such as ビール (beer), コーヒー (coffee, from koffie), ガラス (glass, from glas), ゴム (rubber, from gom), ポンプ (pump) and ランドセル (school backpack).
Language-learning habits. Many Dutch speakers already use English, German or French, so you know how to study grammar and keep going through the awkward phase.
Formality. Choosing between je and u prepares you for polite and casual Japanese. See casual vs polite Japanese.

What to watch

Challenge	Why it’s tricky
Particles	Japanese marks roles with small words like は, が, を and に instead of word position and prepositions. See Japanese particles explained and wa vs ga.
Pure vowels	Japanese has five short, clear vowels. Avoid Dutch diphthongs: え is a plain e, not ee gliding to ei, and お doesn’t glide to ou.
The r sound	Japanese ら行 is a light tap of the tongue, not a rolled or throat r.
No g in the throat	Japanese が is a hard g as in English “go”, never the Dutch g.
Pitch, not stress	Japanese words rise and fall in pitch rather than having a strongly stressed syllable. See Japanese pitch accent.
Writing	Hiragana, katakana and kanji. See how to learn hiragana and katakana.

Useful first phrases

Japanese	Say it	Meaning
オランダから来ました。	oranda kara kimashita.	I’m from the Netherlands.
ベルギーから来ました。	berugī kara kimashita.	I’m from Belgium.
オランダ語が話せます。	orandago ga hanasemasu.	I can speak Dutch.
ゆっくり話してください。	yukkuri hanashite kudasai.	Please speak slowly.

Tips for Dutch speakers

Don’t learn Japanese through English word lists only. Learn whole sentences, so particles and endings come with the words.
Record yourself and listen for diphthongs and a heavy g or r. See the Japanese pronunciation guide.
Plan around your timezone. Evening lessons in the Netherlands or Belgium fall early the next morning in Japan, which works well for many tutors. See lessons across time zones.
Set a goal. The JLPT is held in the Netherlands and many other European countries (check the official list of test sites for your city); see registering for the JLPT abroad.

How Hanabuddies can help

Our native Japanese tutors teach one-to-one online, in English, and can schedule lessons that work from the Netherlands, Belgium and the rest of Europe. Because word order already has a head start, lessons can focus on what Dutch speakers find hardest: particles, clear vowels, a light r, and polite speech for work or travel.