Dutch Grammar for Beginners: The 20 Rules That Matter Most
Dutch grammar can feel overwhelming at first, but only about 20 rules actually determine your exam score. Focus on these and you will be in great shape for the A2 exam.paragraphs
Introduction
Dutch grammar has a reputation for being difficult, but it is actually very systematic. Once you understand the core patterns, most of the complexity resolves itself. These 20 rules are the ones that appear most frequently in A2 exam questions.
Rule 1-4: Articles and Gender
Rule 1: Every noun has a gender — de or het. Learn them together. Rule 2: het words are typically: diminutives (-je, -pje), languages, metals, chemicals. Rule 3: het also applies to words starting with het: het land, het boek. Rule 4: When in doubt, default to de — it is more common (~80% of nouns).
Rule 5-8: Plurals
Rule 5: Most nouns add -en: auto becomes auto en. Rule 6: Nouns ending in -el, -er, -en just add -s: de tafel becomes de tafels. Rule 7: Some nouns change internally in the plural: het kind becomes de kinderen. Rule 8: Always check if a word has a special plural form when you learn it.
Rule 9-12: Verb Conjugation Present
Rule 9: Regular verbs: ik werk, jij werkt, hij werkt, wij werken, jullie werken, zij werken. Rule 10: Verbs ending in -t in the infinitive drop the -en: werken becomes werkt. Rule 11: zeggen is irregular: ik zeg, jij zegt. Rule 12: zijn is completely irregular: ik ben, jij bent, hij is, wij zijn, jullie zijn, zij zijn.
Rule 13-16: Word Order
Rule 13: Verb is always second in a main clause: (Ik) (koop) een fiets. Rule 14: In subordinate clauses, verb goes to the end: omdat ik een fiets koop. Rule 15: Question word order flips subject and verb: Koop jij een fiets? Rule 16: Separable verbs: the prefix breaks off and goes to the end in subordinate clauses: Ik bel op — because ik opbel.
Rule 17-20: Essential Structures
Rule 17: hebben vs zijn for past tense — use hebben with most verbs, zijn with movement verbs (gaan, komen, fietsen). Rule 18: Word order after conjunctions: maar, omdat, hoewel — the verb follows immediately: maar ik heb geen tijd. Rule 19: Diminutives always take het: het huisje, het meisje. Rule 20: Negation with niet and geen: niet is used with verbs and adjectives, geen replaces de/het when negating nouns: Ik heb geen geld (no money).
Conclusion
These 20 rules cover the vast majority of grammar points tested in the A2 exam. Master them in context, not in isolation. DutchExam.xyz grammar exercises are organised by rule number so you can practise each one individually.