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Home - City Guide - Amsterdam - Language | ||
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Language The official language of The Netherlands is Dutch (also known as Netherlandish), which is spoken by 14 million people. There are also nearly 6 million Dutch speakers in Belgium, mostly based in Flanders. English is widely (and well) spoken in Amsterdam as it is taught in schools from an early age. Many people also speak German and French. Amsterdam itself has had a profound impact on the formation of Standard Dutch. This is due to the fact that large numbers of people moved from the Southern Provinces to the North, mainly settling in Amsterdam, as a result of the religious upheavals throughout the Low Countries in the latter part of the sixteenth century. These immigrants tended to be wealthy and educated, and inevitably the language they brought with them attained a level of social prestige equal to its speakers. As the language of Amsterdam's upper classes increasingly became the written norm, so the original dialects of Holland remained entrenched in the spoken language. To this day, there can still be significant differences between the written and spoken forms of Dutch. Phrases Yes - Ja No - Nee Hello - Hallo Goodbye - Tot ziens Please - Alstublieft Thank you - Dank u wel My name is ... - Mijn naam is ... / ik heet ... How are you? - Hoe gaat het? I'm very well - Met mij gaat het goed I feel ill - Ik voel me ziek How much does it cost? - Hoeveel kost het? Do you speak English? - Spreekt u Engels? I don't understand - Ik begrijp het niet Where is ...? - Waar is ...? Entrance - Ingang Exit - Uitgang Danger - Gevaar Open - Geopend Closed - Gesloten Toilets - Toiletten / WC Doctor - Dokter Hotel - Hotel Restaurant - Restaurant Beer - Bier Wine - Wijn Menu - Menu Today - Vandaag Tomorrow - Morgen Monday - Maandag Tuesday - Dinsdag Wednesday - Woensdag Thursday - Donderdag Friday - Vrijdag Saturday - Zaterdag Sunday - Zondag One - Een Two - Twee Three - Drie Four - Vier Five - Vijf Six - Zes Seven - Zeven Eight - Acht Nine - Negen Ten - Tien Twenty - Twintig Thirty - Dertig Forty - Veertig Fifty - Vijftig Sixty - Zestig Seventy - Zeventig Eighty - Tachtig Ninety - Negentig One Hundred - Hinderd One Thousand - Duizend |