Speak Dutch - Instantly. No books. No writing. No memorizing. - Guaranteed success. Speak and understand perfectly - Incredible progress. Get what you want, fast - Absolute confidence. Unleash your natural learning style without trying The Method: Stress-free audio learning Michel Thomas teaches you through your own language, so there's no stress, and no anxiety. He builds it up, step by step, and you don't move on until you've absorbed and understood the previous point. And, as Michel Thomas said, 'What you understand, you know; and what you know, you don't forget.' With parallels to the way you learned your own language, each language is learned in 'real-time' conditions. There is no need to stop for homework, additional exercises or vocabulary memorization. A 'virtual' classroom The classroom situation on the recording lets you learn with others. You enjoy their success, and you learn from their mistakes. The students on the recordings are not reading from scripts and they have received no additional instruction or preparation - just the guidance you hear on the recording. You, as the learner, become the third student and participate actively in the class. There's no such thing as a poor student, only a poor teacher This is an important part of the Michel Thomas Method. Full responsibility for your learning lies with the teacher, not with you, the pupil. This helps to ensure that you can relax and feel confident, allowing you to learn effectively. Why it Works: Learn another language the way you learned your own You learned your own language naturally and enjoyably: now you can learn Dutch in the same way. You'll stick with it because you'll love it. Use the unique method perfected over fifty years by the celebrated psychologist and linguist Michel Thomas. This method works with your brain, helping you to build up your Dutch in manageable, enjoyable steps by thinking out the answers for yourself. You learn through listening and speaking without the pressure of writing or memorizing. You pick up the language naturally and unforgettably. Join the millions of people worldwide who have learned a new language with the Michel Thomas Method. Learn Anywhere Don't be tied to chunky books or your computer, Michel Thomas Method audio courses let you learn whenever you want: at home, in your car, or on the move with your MP3 player. What's in the Course? Total Dutch with the Michel Thomas Method contains 8 hours of audio on 8 CDs. How Does it Work? - Listen: collect words effortlessly by listening - Connect: create your own mental tool kit by understanding how words fit together - Speak: put the words back together to build sentences, naturally The Michel Thomas Method Range:

About the Author

Cobie Adkins-de Jong and Els Van Geyte are native Dutch speakers and experienced teachers of Dutch. Cobie additionally used to teach German to adults at the Brasshouse Language Centre in Birmingham, while Els also teaches English as a Foreign Language at the University of Birmingham.

Table of Contents

It is: 'het is' Asking for agreement: 'he?' not: 'niet' Question words: what: 'wat?' I: 'ik' I am drinking = I drink: 'ik drink' to + verb = verb + 'en' You: 'je' Yes/no questions Question words: where: 'waar' Word order: trigger verbs send the 2nd verb to the end of the sentence We: 'we' Can/able to: 'kan/kun' Good = well: 'goed' Question words: why: 'waarom' We: 'we': use the full verb (with '-en') How to express the present Word order in questions But: 'maar' Word order with 'niet' Him/her/me: 'hem/haar/me' I'm sorry: 'het spijt me' Must/have to: 'moeten' To know: 'weten'+ 'het' (it) How to express the present tense Nothing/something: 'niets/iets' Because (for): 'want' they: 'ze' need: 'nodig hebben' (have needed) Time expressions Question words: how/what time: 'hoe/hoe laat' How to express the future (using present tense): are you coming? = will you come? = will you be coming?: 'kom' Patterns: words ending in '-ation': '-atie'. For these words, 'the' is 'de'. He/she: 'hij/ze' Adjective endings: '-e' An, a: 'een' Plural you (you all): 'jullie' Using 'to go' for future forms To: 'naar' Where...to: 'naartoe' Commands; softening commands with 'even' Polite form of 'you': 'u'; verb '+t' You, he, she, it: verb '+t' (the t-gang: 'hij, ze, het, u') No '-t' with 'je' in question forms Polite requests with 'even' All: 'allemaal' (but never used on its own) Her: 'haar' Noun plurals with '-en' Gladly, with pleasure, like: 'graag' Stressed forms: you: 'jij'; she: 'zij'; they: 'zij' Me too = I too/So do we = we too Would like: 'wil graag'. 'graag' stays close to the verb it belongs to. No need for 'graag' in questions (would you like = do you want) Add 'on-' to adjectives to make negative 'wel' for contrast; replaces the verb To go home: 'naar huis gaan' vs. at home: 'thuis' Word order: time before place Word order: no change when linking sentences with 'en' and 'want' Word order: 'omdat-effect': when linking sentences with 'omdat' the verb gets sent to the end Question words: when: 'wanneer' Word order: question words in the middle of a sentence have the 'omdat' effect Question words: who: 'wie Trigger verbs (send the other verb to the end): to be allowed/have permission: 'mogen' Diminutives: making words small, talking about objects affectionately: add '-je' Reflexive verbs (to feel oneself good) Not one, not a(ny), no: 'geen' Expressions using 'to have' instead of 'to be' To (for to, in order to): 'om ...te' Two different words for 'the': 'de' and 'het' In Dutch: 'in het Nederlands' How to express 'would/was supposed to': I/you/he/she/it would: 'ik/je/hij/ze/het zou' If: 'als' (also has 'omdat' effect) We/you (all)/they are allowed: 'we/jullie/ze mogen' 'If' in English has two meanings - 'in case' or 'whether': 'als' or 'of' How to express 'I have been ...waiting': present tense + 'al/lang' Revision of trigger verbs: can, want to, have to, be allowed How to express the past tense I/you/he/she/it could (was able): 'ik/je/u/hij/ze/het kon' We/you (all)/they could (were able): 'we/jullie/ze konden' Them: 'ze' I /he/she/it was, you were: 'ik/je/u/hij/ze/het was' We/you (all)/they were: 'we/jullie/ze waren' I /he/she/it was, you had: 'ik/je/u/hij/ze/het had' We/you (all)/they had: 'we/jullie/ze hadden' Word order: 'niet' usually comes after time phrases To wait for: 'wachten op' I /you/he/she/it had to: 'ik/je/u/hij/ze/het moest' We/you (all)/they had to: 'we/jullie/ze moesten' How to express promise/commitment: I will/shall: I /you/he/she/it will: 'ik/je/u/hij/ze/het zal' We/you (all)/they will: 'we/jullie/ze zullen' I /you/he/she/it wanted: 'ik/je/u/hij/ze/het wilde' We/you (all)/they wanted: 'we/jullie/ze wilden' Words ending in '-atie' often have corresponding verbs ending in '-eren': 'combinatie' > 'combineren' To let/allow: 'laten'; to have something done: 'laten' Verbs that can separate have the stress on the prefix To go away: 'weggaan' To pick up/collect: 'ophalen' Verbs with prefixes that do not separate have the stress on the core verb To repeat: 'herhalen' Statements like 'I hope', must be followed by 'that': dat' 'dat' in middle of sentence has the 'omdat'effect To express position - on it/in it: 'erop/erin' With it: 'ermee'

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