Dutch grammar for beginners: what to learn first

Last checked: 29 October 2026

Start Dutch grammar with zijn (to be) and hebben (to have), then the present tense of regular verbs, then the rule that the verb comes second. After that, learn de and het, simple questions and niet/geen. With these six steps you can make most everyday sentences. Leave the past tense and long sentences for later.

This page is a starter path. It does not explain every rule. It tells you what to learn first and what can wait. For the full overview, see our Dutch grammar guide.

The starter path at a glance

Spend about a week on each step if you study a little every day. Do not move on until you can make sentences without looking.

Step 1: zijn and hebben

These two verbs are irregular, and you use them all the time. Learn them by heart.

Examples:

• Ik ben moe. (I am tired.)
• Zij heeft twee kinderen. (She has two children.)
• Wij zijn in Rotterdam. (We are in Rotterdam.)

Later you will need them again for the past tense: Ik heb gewerkt. Ik ben gekomen. So time spent here pays off twice.

Step 2: personal pronouns

Learn the subject forms first. The object and possessive forms can come later.

• ik (I), jij / je (you, informal), u (you, formal)
• hij (he), zij / ze (she), het (it)
• wij / we (we), jullie (you, plural), zij / ze (they)

Je, ze and we are the short, unstressed forms. Dutch people use them most of the time in speech: We gaan naar huis. (We are going home.)

Use u with officials, at the doctor and with older people you do not know. At work and with friends, jij is normal.

Step 3: the present tense

Take -en off the infinitive to find the stem. Werken (to work) gives werk.

• ik werk (stem)
• jij werkt, u werkt, hij werkt (stem + t)
• wij werken, jullie werken, zij werken (infinitive)

That is the whole pattern for regular verbs. Two spelling details:

• wonen gives ik woon (keep the long vowel sound with a double letter)
• zitten gives ik zit (no double consonant at the end)

The present tense also covers the near future: Ik werk morgen. (I am working tomorrow.) This means you can talk about plans long before you learn a future tense.

Use the verb wheel to drill the endings until they are automatic.

Step 4: the verb comes second

This is the most important rule in Dutch. In a normal sentence, the verb is always in position 2.

• Ik woon in Utrecht. (I live in Utrecht.)
• Nu woon ik in Utrecht. (Now I live in Utrecht.)
• In Utrecht woon ik al drie jaar. (I have lived in Utrecht for three years.)

When you start with a time or place, the subject moves behind the verb. English speakers often say Nu ik woon by mistake. Practise this until Nu woon ik feels normal.

You only need this one word order rule at the start. The rule for long sentences with omdat and dat can wait until step 8.

Try the sentence builder. It makes you put the words in the right order.

Step 5: de and het

Dutch has two words for "the": de and het. "A" is always een.

• de man, de stad, de fiets (the man, the city, the bike)
• het huis, het werk, het kind (the house, the work, the child)
• een man, een huis (a man, a house)

There is no simple rule for most words. Learn each noun together with its article, from day one. Three facts help:

• Plurals are always de: de huizen (the houses).
• Small forms ending in -je are always het: het huisje (the little house).
• Most words for people are de.

Practise with the de/het trainer. Learn new words from the 594 most common words list, always with de or het.

Step 6: questions and saying no

Yes/no questions: put the verb first.

• Je woont in Delft. becomes Woon je in Delft? (Do you live in Delft?)

Notice that woont lost its t. This happens only when jij or je comes right after the verb.

Question words go first, the verb second:

• Waar woon je? (Where do you live?)
• Hoe heet je? (What is your name?)
• Wat doe je? (What do you do?)

Saying no: use geen instead of een or before a noun with no article. Use niet everywhere else.

• Ik heb een auto. becomes Ik heb geen auto. (I don't have a car.)
• Ik spreek goed Nederlands. becomes Ik spreek niet goed Nederlands. (I don't speak Dutch well.)

What comes next

After the first six steps, add these one at a time:

1. Modal verbs and separable verbs. Ik wil morgen werken. Ik bel je op. See modal verbs and separable verbs.
2. Long sentences. After omdat, dat and als, the verb goes to the end. See conjunctions.
3. The past tense. Ik heb gewerkt. Ik werkte. See past tense.
4. Adjective endings. de grote stad, een groot huis. See adjectives.

When you are ready for the rules in more depth, read Dutch grammar rules.

What can wait

Some topics look important in textbooks but are not urgent for a beginner:

• The simple past of irregular verbs. Learn the perfect first (ik heb gegeten).
• The many uses of er. Learn er is / er zijn (there is / there are) and leave the rest.
• The passive voice.
• Every exception in plural spelling.

Tips that help beginners

• Learn whole sentences, not loose words. Ik woon in... is more useful than wonen alone.
• Say your sentences out loud. Speaking shows your gaps faster than reading.
• Ten minutes every day beats two hours on Sunday. Use the flashcards on your phone.
• Do not worry about mistakes with de and het. Dutch people will still understand you.

If you are learning Dutch for the integration exam, A2 grammar is mostly steps 1 to 9. See the inburgering exam A2 guide for what the exam asks.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Dutch grammar basics?

The present tense, zijn and hebben, personal pronouns, the verb-second rule, de and het, questions, and niet/geen. These cover most simple everyday sentences.

How long does it take to learn basic Dutch grammar?

With daily practice, most learners can use the six starter steps within one to two months. Using them fast and without mistakes takes longer.

Should I learn grammar or vocabulary first?

Both, at the same time. Learn a few grammar rules and the most common words together, so you can make real sentences from the first week.

Is Dutch grammar similar to English?

Partly. Many words look alike, and verbs change less than in French or German. The big differences are word order and the two articles de and het.

Do I need to learn the past tense at the start?

No. The present tense covers now and the future. Learn the perfect (ik heb gewerkt) after the first six steps.