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
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