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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

English/ Dutch

32 replies

Heathercob · 04/02/2021 12:31

AIBU to think that if I bought both the English and Dutch version of the same book, and read them simultaneously, that I would be able to learn some Dutch?

OP posts:
MasterBeth · 04/02/2021 12:33

No. Yes. Kind of. Not really.

You wouldn’t learn Dutch. You might learn some words.

It would be a great thing to do alongside other language learning - a formal course, total immersion, watching Dutch TV etc.

Sprig1 · 04/02/2021 12:33

I can't see why not. The translation may not be exact but you would get the gist.

Helspopje · 04/02/2021 12:35

No
But get the first 500/1000 words book or similar kids books and you might learn a bit.
Pronunciation likely to be way off tho

Original poster
Heathercob · 04/02/2021 12:37

Ok, thanks 😊! Been watching a YouTube channel about Friesian horses, and would like to understand some more of what they are saying 😊.

OP posts:
MrsWonderland · 04/02/2021 12:37

How good is your Dutch right now?

Gastropod · 04/02/2021 12:39

That's more or less how machine translation engines are trained, but you'd need to read 1000s of books to get similar results to the machine...

In other words, from reading one book you'd not learn much, no, as books aren't translated word for word. So you'd just pick up strange bits and pieces.

AethelsWhiteGoose · 04/02/2021 12:41

True Frisian dialect is similar to old English. Duolingo is good for Dutch, my dc use it while we can’t see family in the Netherlands. Succes!

dontgobaconmyheart · 04/02/2021 12:41

I can't see how it would really help unless you already know some basic dutch grammar and are accustomed to the language. You might pick up some words but you also would flicking through a dutch/english dictionary.

Does the channel not have subtitles? You can usually activate these in the playback bar or settings on YouTube. Friesian horse are gorgeous though and this sounds lovely.

As an aside if you are interested in learning dutch or any other language, duolingo is free, and quite good.

peak2021 · 04/02/2021 12:41

It probably depends on how you learn things. Would not work for me- I went to a university summer school to learn some (have a Dutch brother in law).

There are parts of the Netherlands where people do not speak much English, and in any case were you to visit, a few words of Dutch is much appreciated. (You can also 'accidentally' speak the wrong language in parts of Belgium that get upset about such things).

bigbluebus · 04/02/2021 12:42

If it's anything like Google translate then I'd say no! I have friends who post online in Spanish and Norwegian and it is often difficult to get the context of what they have written from a direct translation.

pigsDOfly · 04/02/2021 12:44

Unless you already have a good level of both languages, how would that work?

So what, you'd read a sentence in English and then the same sentence in Dutch? But how would you know which bit of the Dutch words/sentence related to the English words?

It might work with early children's books but anything with any level of language skill would surely get too complicated.

It sounds like an extremely tedious, difficult way to 'learn' a language. And as pp said you'd have no idea of pronunciation.

pigsDOfly · 04/02/2021 12:48

Ah, just seen your update.

All sounds a bit complicated just to understand what a you tube video is say about horses. Aren't there translations for things like that online?

RickJames · 04/02/2021 13:00

I say YANBU. I speak Dutch pretty fluently but really badly, because I never learned it formally. I picked it up from DH and DS and watching TV. I find the grammar hard because the subjects and verbs etc go in a different order to English. So I think you could learn bad Dutch - like you could say things, understand what's being said to you and respond etc. I dont think you could learn how to speak nicely or write a letter though. Maybe start with a children's book.

Give it a try - it is a nice language, I think it's a good language to tell jokes in! Its naturally humourous in my opinion. And Friesian horses are amazing Smile I've ridden a couple and they had a lovely gait and temperament, as well as being beautiful.

Maybe try watching Dutch TV shows with English subtitles and English shows with Dutch subtitles.

Sometimesonly · 04/02/2021 13:03

If you already have a lot of language learning experience it could work. Probably not the easiest way to go about it though.

MotherWol · 04/02/2021 13:08

I've found Dutch vocabulary fairly easy to pick up through immersion (we've visited the Netherlands a lot), but nothing prepares you for spoken Dutch - the accent can be hard to attune to. So YANBU to try to pick up some terminology and vocab through reading, but I wouldn't expect it would lead to fluency.

lljkk · 04/02/2021 13:12

I have a colleague who spoke only Dutch until he started school... he lacks confidence in Dutch because he never studied it formally, didn't grow up reading it. Can chitchat obviously. He said the best business presentation he ever did he constantly asked the room (Dutch speakers) how to say specific stuff; they engaged very well as a result. He had a 20 yr career partly because of being a 'native' Dutch speaker, mind.

Languages are meant to be spoken. Don't think you can learn a lot from a book.

thecatneuterer · 04/02/2021 13:24

Duolingo is a much better option. And if you do that you will certainly learn the word for turtles (schildpadden) - Dutch Duolingo seems to be obsessed with them.

MythicalBiologicalFennel · 04/02/2021 13:29

Yes you would learn some Dutch. It might not be that helpful for your goal which is to understand spoken language, in a regional accent, with a niche vocabulary. But it will help a bit. Out of all the languages English is related to, Dutch is one of the closest so theory says it should be easier to learn.

I understand Netflix do have some Dutch series on if you want to go down that route? Watching that with English subtitles on would help you.

Sparrowfeeder · 04/02/2021 13:41

@MotherWol

I've found Dutch vocabulary fairly easy to pick up through immersion (we've visited the Netherlands a lot), but nothing prepares you for spoken Dutch - the accent can be hard to attune to. So YANBU to try to pick up some terminology and vocab through reading, but I wouldn't expect it would lead to fluency.
This! My DP is Dutch so I am getting vocab and can just about follow written text but when it is spoken in conversation quickly etc, it is a whole other thing! No idea. Just say ‘lekker’ a lot, gets me through meals anyway Grin.
Cpl654321 · 04/02/2021 13:43

No. That's not really how learning languages works.

RickJames · 04/02/2021 15:30

@Sparrowfeeder

Lol! Lekker! (combine it with waving your hand next to your ear for a real compliment to the cook Confused). Also "mooi hoor" for something positive happening or being reported and "jammer hoor" for something negative.

That seems to cover the bases Grin

MotherWol · 04/02/2021 22:49

@Sparrowfeeder at all times sound like you’re about to cough something up, and stick a few extra j’s in at random. Alsjeblieft!

Twunk · 04/02/2021 22:56

I’ve lived in the Netherlands for nearly 13 years and my dutch is still rubbish 😳

UndertheCedartree · 04/02/2021 22:58

@Sparrowfeeder - U find 'lekker' 'leuk' and 'goed' can get you far!! Grin

UndertheCedartree · 04/02/2021 22:58

I find