Given how close both Dutch and German are geographically, it is a common assumption that speakers of both languages understand each other. After all, many European languages are so similar that native speakers in some countries can understand their neighbors’ languages as well – think of Spanish and Portuguese, or Danish and Swedish. Even looking at the name of the Dutch language feels almost like a giveaway: German is translated as Deutsch, almost the same word as Dutch. But are Dutch and German essentially the same language, or are there differences? Let’s take a closer look.
- Do Dutch and German have the same roots?
- How are Dutch and German different?
- What do Dutch and German have in common?
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Do Dutch and German have the same roots?
Dutch and German both are considered West Germanic languages and share some historical background. Both languages have developed throughout the centuries from different dialects in Europe and were once mutually intelligible. As a result, some basic words such as “yes” or “no”, for example, are almost the same in both languages. With Germany being a much larger country than the Netherlands and a direct neighbor, many Dutch people speak basic German due to the historical and economic ties between the two countries. However, the Dutch language has some phonological differences from German, likely stemming from the Franks who lived in what is now the Netherlands in the 9th century.
How are Dutch and German different?
The main difference between both languages is their pronunciation. Dutch is famous for its rough pronunciation of the g, while German is known for its harsh pronunciation of the s. Please note that Belgian Dutch speakers don’t have the rough g, though!
In addition, German grammar is much more complex than that of the Dutch language. For example, a commonly known feature of the German language is the use of compound words, making the language hard to understand for beginners or foreigners. The difference in grammar between both languages may also cause some confusion: Both languages have slightly different sentence structures, making the meaning of a sentence hard to understand. Lastly, a big source of confusion is the German Umlaute ä, ö and ü, which are used in both languages, but in a completely different way: In German, the Umlaute changes the pronunciation of certain letters, while in Dutch it simply means you have to pronounce the letter even stronger.
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What do Dutch and German have in common?
While the languages have many differences, there are also a lot of similarities between them. For example, the shared historic roots mean that many words in both languages are very similar, either in their spelling or pronunciation or both. This means that while it can be hard to understand one another, speakers often still can catch the topic of a conversation by picking up a few words. In addition, both countries have many different regional dialects, which are often a bit more similar to the languages of neighboring countries. Frisian dialect speakers in Germany for example may, as a result, understand some Dutch.
So if I speak German – will I understand Dutch?
Although Dutch and German are related, it is very difficult for speakers of the two languages to understand each other. Unlike for example Slavic or Scandinavian languages, which are often so similar that native speakers understand one another, the differences in pronunciation make it extremely difficult to know what the other person is saying. However, many Dutch people learn German in school and understand some of the language as a result. Vice versa, Germans who live close to the Dutch border often speak some basic Dutch, as well.
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Anne Walther
Anne is a German freelance writer and communication consultant. In addition to her job, she is founder and coach of the Dutch non-for-profit organization CLUB Coaching. Due to her work, she resides in both Germany and the Netherlands. Whenever her time is not occupied with communication in all its forms, she spends time with her six pets, gardening or being creative with fashion and design. You can follow her on LinkedIn.
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FAQs
Although Dutch and German are related, it is very difficult for speakers of the two languages to understand each other.
Can Germans and Dutch understand each other? ›
Dutch people, on the other hand, are more likely to immediately switch to English. Or even the language of the individual in question as soon as they realize that the individual does not speak Dutch. Given this fact, it's probably harder for German people to understand Dutch.
Is it hard to learn German if you speak Dutch? ›
For Germans, it can be quite hard because Dutch and German seem at first glance so very similar, but in fact are quite confusingly different.
Are Dutch and German mutually intelligible? ›
Without prior instruction, the standard varieties of modern German and Dutch are mutually intelligible only to a rather limited degree (Beerkens, 2010; Gooskens et al., 2015; Ház, 2005).
What percentage of Germans speak Dutch? ›
Native speakers
| Country | Absolute | % |
|---|
| Germany | 93,871 | 0.1% |
| Luxembourg | 9,848 | 1.9% |
| Netherlands | 15,766,786 | 94.2% |
| New Zealand | 23,860 | 0.5% |
10 more rowsLow German is a part of the continental West Germanic dialect continuum. To the West, it blends into the Low Franconian languages, including Dutch. A distinguishing feature between the Low Franconian varieties and Low German varieties is the plural of the verbs.
Can Dutch people understand Low German? ›
The results show that Dutchmen understand more High German than Low German and that subjects from the border area understand more Low German than subjects from other parts of the country.
Which is harder, Dutch or German? ›
It's also the official language of several countries, including Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Both Dutch and German have their challenges, but Dutch is generally considered easier to learn than German.
Is Dutch older than German? ›
To simplify a little bit, you can see it like this. German is the oldest form. Dutch emerged from it, and from Dutch came English. So Dutch is closer to English.
How long will it take to learn Dutch fluently? ›
The Foreign Language Institute recommends a total of 24-30 weeks or 600-750 hours of Dutch language learning to reach fluency. Tobian Language School personally recommends 20 – 30 lessons for A2 level with a minimum of 2 weekly lessons. And B2 learners? You'll need to strive for 40 – 50 lessons or up to 50 hours.
Its closest relative is the mutually intelligible daughter language Afrikaans. Other West Germanic languages related to Dutch are German, English and the un-standardised languages Low German and Yiddish.
What is the closest language to German? ›
It is most closely related to other West Germanic languages, namely Afrikaans, Dutch, English, the Frisian languages, Scots. It also contains close similarities in vocabulary to some languages in the North Germanic group, such as Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish.
Is Dutch more closer to English or German? ›
With the exception of Frisian, Dutch is linguistically the closest language to English, with both languages being part of the West Germanic linguistic family. These means many Dutch words are cognates with English (meaning they share the same linguistic roots), giving them similar spelling and pronunciation.
Can you understand German if you know Dutch? ›
Although Dutch and German are related, it is very difficult for speakers of the two languages to understand each other.
Can Germans and Austrians understand each other? ›
Austrians and Germans can easily understand each other since they both speak German. While there are regional dialects and specific terms unique to each country, the core structure and vocabulary are largely the same. Think of it as akin to Americans understanding the British.
Is Amish German the same as German? ›
Yes, the Amish understand German. In fact, it's their mother tongue. However, it's a bit different from the modern German dialects spoken in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland today. The early Amish settlers hailed from German-speaking countries and their language adopted other traits over time.
Do the Netherlands and Germany like each other? ›
Germany and the Netherlands enjoy wide-ranging, close and friendly relations at the level of both government and civil society. There are intensive contacts between their members of government and parliament at national and Land level.
How similar are Dutch and German? ›
This caused a degree of standardization of Old High German which later became the standard German. And that wraps up the phases. Having this shift in mind, you can see why German and Dutch are over 80% similar. Don't think that every word is similar though.
Can a German speaker understand Danish? ›
But are German speakers actually able to understand Danish — and vice versa? The short answer is: no, not really. However close they seem at first, there are major differences between the languages. But that's not to say they're so far apart on the language family tree.
