Tips/advice for learning a new language

[leerla73]

@mirjam_465

I think you are confusing Frisian with Faroese.

Thanks for the correction, they didn’t have the sound for Frisian. @mirjam_465, these songs are nice btw. Calming.

Frisian languages

[damiechan]

@leerla73

I got Klappen = clap

That’d be logical, but in flemish “klappen” is also talking

[mirjam_465]

@damiechan

That’d be logical, but in flemish “klappen” is also talking

Must be a German influence…

[feyfayer]

@my_happy_place

YT videos or maybe books that are geared toward children

I feel like Dikkie Dik and Nijntje are also classics. I saw they have YT channels with stories. They are completely in Dutch though, no English subs (but hey, that’s also a method I use to learn )

De lente in met Dikkie Dik 🌺 | Compilatie | Voorleesverhalen voor Kinderen

nijntje's speciale sneeuwpop | nijntje en vriendjes | winter afleveringen | kinderanimatie

[feyfayer]

Except for the first one, I didn’t know most of them.
I still find the first one weird

[leerla73]

@mirjam_465

De beste zanger van Nederland

@mirjam_465,
One look at this statement, and the translation is quite clear. The Best Singer in/from the Netherlands! I did not look it up, it just made sense. Let’s see if @my_happy_place gets the same revelation. I checked the translation after of course.

Christmas song in German, anyone?
Great for learners.
!https://youtu.be/uiEz9N_gtME?feature=shared

Stille Nacht (with lyrics) - The most BEAUTIFUL German Christmas Carol!

[my_happy_place]

@leerla73

the same revelation

You’re right, within the context of music, this translation was rather clear. “Zanger” on its own wouldn’t have meant much to me.

[mirjam_465]

@my_happy_place

You’re right, within the context of music, this translation was rather clear. “Zanger” on its own wouldn’t have meant much to me.

zingen = to sing

ik zing = I sing
je/jij zingt = you sing (informal)
hij zingt = he sings | ze/zij zingt = she sings
we/wij zingen = we sing
jullie zingen = you sing (plural, informal)
u zingt = you sing (singular or plural, formal)
ze/zij zingen = they sing

Je, ze, and we are unstressed and jij, zij, and wij are stressed.

ik zong = I sang
jij zong = you sang
hij zong = he sang
wij zongen = we sang
jullie zongen = you sang
zij zongen = they sang

ik heb gezongen = I have sung
jij hebt gezongen
hij heeft gezongen
wij hebben gezongen
jullie hebben gezongen
zij hebben gezongen

ik had gezongen = I had sung
jij had gezongen
hij had gezongen
wij hadden gezongen
jullie hadden gezongen
zij hadden gezongen

ik ben aan het zingen = I am singing
jij bent aan het zingen
hij is aan het zingen
wij zijn aan het zingen
jullie zijn aan het zingen
zij zijn aan het zingen

ik zal zingen = I will/shall sing
jij zult zingen
hij zal zingen
wij zullen zingen
jullie zullen zingen
zij zullen zingen

We do have different rules for when to use which tense, though.

gezang = singing (noun); hymn
(hymne = hymn)

zanger = singer (male)
zangeres = singer (female)
zangvogel = passerine
vogel = bird
lofzang = ode
(ode = ode)
zingende zaag = singing saw
lied (often used in the diminutive: liedje) = song

[my_happy_place]

That’s so wonderful. Thank you.

I can see the pattern in your examples. Are conjugations fairly standard, or do you have lots of exceptions to the rules? So far, in Duolingo, all I’ve learned are “ben,” “bent,” and “is.”

I take that back, they’ve briefly introduced “drink” and “drinkt,” which follow the pattern so far.

[mirjam_465]

@my_happy_place

I can see the pattern in your examples. Are conjugations fairly standard, or do you have lots of exceptions to the rules? So far, in Duolingo, all I’ve learned are “ben,” “bent,” and “is.”

Some verbs are quite irregular, but most of the differences are among the tenses.

ik zie = I see
ik zag = I saw

ik ruik = I smell
ik rook = I smelled; I smoke

zijn = to be

ik ben
jij bent
hij is
wij zijn
jullie zijn
zij zijn

ik was = I was
jij was
hij was
wij waren
jullie waren
zij waren

ik ben geweest = I have been (note that we use “to be” instead of “to have” here)
jij bent geweest
hij is geweest
wij zijn geweest
jullie zijn geweest
zij zijn geweest

We also have regular verbs:

ik gooi = I throw
ik gooide = I threw

[mirjam_465]

rijden = to drive; to ride

ik rijd (also: ik rij)
jij rijdt
hij rijdt
wij rijden
jullie rijden
zij rijden

rijd jij? = do you ride/drive?

Whether the word ends in d or in dt makes no difference for the pronunciation, but you do need to spell it the right way.

[my_happy_place]

@mirjam_465

d or in dt makes no difference for the pronunciation

Good to know. I was trying to work out how to pronounce the “dt” and thought I’d have to contort my tongue in some weird way. You’re so sweet to take the time to share all this with me.

[mirjam_465]

Niels Holgersson 1 De kabouter

Jody en het Hertejong - 01 - Geven en nemen

De Familie Robinson - 01 - Een onverwachte uitnodiging

Belfi & Lillibit - 01 - Het Kinderfeest

Dieren van het Groene Woud (Deel 1 van 3)

15 MINUTEN KOEKIEMONSTER | Sesamstraat | NPO Zappelin

Freggels Intro Dutch

[mirjam_465]

@my_happy_place

thought I’d have to contort my tongue in some weird way.

Luckily, it’s not that complicated. Have you mastered pronouncing the g (or ch) yet?

[my_happy_place]

I’ve watched several videos on it and have been practicing. It will take me some time to be consistent (if ever, LOL).

[mirjam_465]

And you know the difference between the “harde g” and the “zachte g”?

[my_happy_place]

Just watched a pretty good video on it. From what I gathered from a few different YT folks, it sort of depends on which part of the country you’re in and ultimately doesn’t matter all that much which you use. Do you tend toward the ‘harde’ or the zachte’?

[leerla73]

@my_happy_place

thought I’d have to contort my tongue in some weird way. You’re so sweet to take the time to share all this with me.

Ha-ha! You may not know, but mirjam_465 is multi-lingual with a passion.
I know what you mean about contorting the tongue, I did the same trying to pronounce a few of those words.

[mirjam_465]

@my_happy_place

Just watched a pretty good video on it. From what I gathered from a few different YT folks, it sort of depends on which part of the country you’re in and ultimately doesn’t matter all that much which you use. Do you tend toward the ‘harde’ or the zachte’?

Yes, basically, people from Belgium and the southern regions of The Netherlands speak with the soft g. Examples of soft-g users here on Viki are @feyfayer and @damiechan
I on the other hand, use the hard one.
And we all understand each other. It’s just that people might have a rough idea of which area you come from.

[damiechan]

@mirjam_465

And we all understand each other.

Well, sometimes we don’t