Dutch for people who gave up on Dutch.
We are Mirna and Amin. We are both foreigners in the Netherlands, and we both wanted to learn the language. So we built the thing we wished we had.
Why we made DamGoodDutch
Classes gave us the grammar. The words came from everyday life: on the bread bag, at the bakery counter, in a message from the neighbour about a parcel. See a word often enough, in a real place, and one day you just know it.
That is exposure, and it is how DamGoodDutch works. No drills. One everyday word at a time, used in real sentences, until it is yours.
What you get
Two short emails a week, every Tuesday and Saturday at 7am. Early enough to read on the train to work, or with your coffee on a Saturday.
Each email is built around one word, like brood, koffie or fiets. It opens with a short true story about the Netherlands. Then come the sentences you would actually say, at the counter, to the neighbour, at work. It takes about five minutes to read.
The first lesson goes out on Tuesday 3 November. Sign up before then and you start on day one.
It is free
The emails are free. There is no account to make and nothing to install. Every email has an unsubscribe link at the bottom, and one click is enough.
Who it is for
People who moved to the Netherlands, tried to learn Dutch, and stopped. Not because they are lazy. Work, family and a country where everyone answers you in English make it very easy to stop.
This is Dutch with no pressure. It arrives in your inbox, so there is nothing to remember to open. You read it when you have five minutes. If you miss one, the next one still makes sense. Over months, the words pile up.
Everyone starts at the first word, whenever they join. Nobody lands in the middle.
What it is not
It is not a course, and there is no certificate at the end. There are no streaks and no homework. If you want grammar drills, join a class. This is for everyone who wants to understand the Dutch around them, with or without one.
Checked before it goes out
We check every lesson for accuracy before it is sent. However, mistakes happen. If you find one, please tell us and we will fix it.
Say hello
Reply to any email, or use the contact page. Tell us the word you keep tripping over, an idea you have, or the moment a word from a lesson finally clicked. We read all of it.
Regular exposure to Dutch, in your inbox.
Free, twice a week, on Tuesday and Saturday at 7am. You start at the first word, whenever you join.