· 7 min read
Dutch vs German: Which Should You Learn?
By Language Lab editorial team
Dutch vs German compared with official figures: 24 weeks of classes against about 36 for English speakers. See articles, cases, where each is spoken and exams.
Dutch is quicker than German for an English speaker. The US State Department lists Dutch in Category I, languages close to English, at 24 weeks of classes, and German in Category II at about 36 weeks, or 828 class hours. The two are close relatives, and the BBC's guide places Dutch somewhere between German and English. The gap is mostly grammar: Dutch has two articles and no full case system, German three genders and four noun case endings. Both put the verb at the end of many sentences. German reaches further: almost 100 million people speak it as their main language, against about 24 million for Dutch. Choose Dutch for the Netherlands and Flanders, German for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Side by side
| Dutch | German | |
|---|---|---|
| State Department category | Category I, languages close to English | Category II |
| Class time | 24 weeks | About 36 weeks (828 class hours) |
| At 10 hours a week | About 55 weeks | About 83 weeks |
| Articles | Two: de and het | Three: der, die and das |
| Cases | Not all the grammatical cases German has | Four noun case endings |
| Verb position | Often at the end of the sentence | Often at the end of the sentence |
| Speakers | About 24 million | Almost 100 million as their main language |
| Official exams | Staatsexamen Nt2 at B1 and B2; CNaVT from A2 to C1 | Goethe-Zertifikat A1 to C2; TestDaF |
Which is easier?
Dutch, on the official figures and on the grammar. The State Department lists Dutch at 24 weeks, the short end of a Category I range of 552 to 690 class hours, and German at about 36 weeks, or 828 class hours. At 10 hours a week that is about 55 weeks against about 83.
Articles and cases
The BBC's guide to Dutch makes the comparison directly: German has three articles, der, die and das, English has one, and Dutch has two, de and het, without all the grammatical cases of German. Its guide to German describes a language considered difficult by English learners, with long words, four noun case endings and three grammatical genders. Dutch is not free of memory work. The same guide calls de and het quite possibly the hardest part of Dutch, because you have to memorise which article each noun takes.
Word order
Here the two behave alike. Just like German, Dutch sentences often place the verb at the end, which takes some getting used to. Learning one makes the other's sentence shape familiar.
Sounds and words
- Dutch has the sch sound of Scheveningen and words such as verschrikkelijk, terrible, and herfst, autumn, with four consonants in a row.
- German builds long compound nouns. The BBC's guide gives Staubsauger, vacuum cleaner, literally a dustsucker.
- Both share everyday vocabulary with English. Dutch: appel, peer, blauw, groen. German words in English include Kindergarten, Zeitgeist and Angst.
The same phrases in both
| English | Dutch | German |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hallo | Guten Tag |
| Goodbye | Tot ziens | Auf Wiedersehen |
| Yes | Ja | Ja |
| No | Nee | Nein |
| Do you speak English? | Spreekt u Engels? | Sprechen Sie Englisch? |
| I don't understand | Ik begrijp het niet | Ich verstehe nicht |
| Great! | Geweldig! | Prima! |
The kinship shows in the table. The BBC's guide to German names Dutch, with English, as German's closest relative, and its guide to Dutch calls Dutch a cousin of English and German. Both languages also separate a formal you from an informal one: u and je in Dutch, Sie and du in German.
Where each is spoken
- Dutch: about 24 million speakers by the Taalunie's count, roughly 17 million in the Netherlands, 6.5 million in Belgium and 400,000 in Suriname. It is an official language in six countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
- German: the official language of Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein and one of the official languages of Switzerland and Luxembourg. The Open University notes that almost 100 million people speak it as their main language.
Exams and free courses
| Dutch | German | |
|---|---|---|
| Main certificates | Staatsexamen Nt2, Programme I (B1) and Programme II (B2); CNaVT, five exams from A2 to C1 | Goethe-Zertifikat from A1 to C2; TestDaF |
| Cost | Staatsexamen Nt2: €50 for each of four exams | Not covered in the sources used here |
| Validity | No expiry date | Not covered in the sources used here |
| Free course | University of Groningen, Introduction to Dutch: three weeks for beginners | Deutsche Welle: free courses from A1 to C1 |
| Free practice | NedBox; official practice environment for the state exam | Deutsche Welle's grammar overview and vocabulary trainer |
How to choose
- You want the faster result: Dutch, at 24 weeks of classes against about 36.
- You are moving to the Netherlands or Flanders, or want Dutch citizenship: Dutch.
- You are moving to Germany, Austria or Switzerland: German.
- You want the larger number of speakers: German.
- You want both in the end: either order works, since the two are close relatives and share their verb-final word order. Starting with Dutch gives you the gentler grammar first.
Language Lab offers both. Its Dutch and German courses are built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor.
Frequently asked
Is Dutch easier than German?
For English speakers, yes. The US State Department lists Dutch at 24 weeks of classes in Category I and German at about 36 weeks, or 828 class hours, in Category II.
How similar are Dutch and German?
They are close relatives. The BBC's guide to German names Dutch, with English, as German's closest relative, and both often place the verb at the end of the sentence.
What is the main grammar difference between Dutch and German?
Dutch has two articles, de and het, and lacks German's full case system. German has three genders and four noun case endings.
Which has more speakers, Dutch or German?
German. The Open University notes almost 100 million people speak German as their main language. The Taalunie counts about 24 million Dutch speakers.
If I know German, is Dutch easy?
The sources point that way: the languages are closely related, the verb-final word order is shared, and Dutch has fewer articles and cases to learn.
Are there official exams for both?
Yes. Dutch has the Staatsexamen Nt2 at B1 and B2 and CNaVT from A2 to C1. German has the Goethe-Zertifikat from A1 to C2 and TestDaF.
Sources: US Department of State, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Foreign Language Training; BBC Languages, A Guide to Dutch and A Guide to German: 10 facts and Key phrases (archived pages); Taalunie, Feiten & cijfers, and CNaVT; College voor Toetsen en Examens, Staatsexamens Nt2, English page; University of Groningen Language Centre, Free Introduction to Dutch; NedBox; Goethe-Institut, German examinations; TestDaF-Institut; Deutsche Welle, Learn German and Grammar Overview; The Open University, OpenLearn, Getting started with German 1. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: Canals and rooftops of Delft seen from the Nieuwe Kerk, Zairon / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
