Why learn Dutch? 

A Dutch class at Indy Language Center can help you travel to more places than you think! Dutch (Nederlands) is spoken not only in the Netherlands, but also in Belgium, Suriname and the Dutch Antilles (Caribbean). Over 23 million people worldwide speak Dutch, incl. South Africa and Indonesia. And according to the latest census more than 140,000 people in the US speak Dutch! 

What is the difference between Dutch and Afrikaans? 

Dutch spoken by the 17th and 18th-century settlers evolved into Afrikaans, one of the official languages of South Africa. With an estimated 90-95%  Dutch origin in Afrikaans vocabulary, a Dutch speaker and an Afrikaans speaker can communicate with each other. The main difference is that Afrikaans does not have grammatical gender and the grammar is less complex. 

Fun facts about Dutch 

• Dutch is a Germanic language, so it shares a lot of similarities with German and English. If you already speak one of these languages, it is easier for you to learn Dutch. 

• With 35 letters “meervoudigepersoonlijkheidsstoornis” (multiple personality disorder) is the longest word in the Dutch dictionary - talk about compounding nouns! 

• Probably the most important Dutch word you need to know is “gezellig”. Often equated to cozy, it is a concept with more depth than its English counterpart, associated with the comfort of time spent with loved ones, seeing a friend after a long separation, or simply togetherness.