Thanks for the correction, they didn’t have the sound for Frisian. @mirjam_465, these songs are nice btw. Calming.
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That’d be logical, but in flemish “klappen” is also talking 
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Must be a German influence…
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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 
)
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Except for the first one, I didn’t know most of them.
I still find the first one weird 
@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
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You’re right, within the context of music, this translation was rather clear. “Zanger” on its own wouldn’t have meant much to me. 
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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
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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.
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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
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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. 
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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.
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Luckily, it’s not that complicated. Have you mastered pronouncing the g (or ch) yet?
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I’ve watched several videos on it and have been practicing. It will take me some time to be consistent (if ever, LOL).
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And you know the difference between the “harde g” and the “zachte g”?
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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’?
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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. 
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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.
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Well, sometimes we don’t 
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