How to learn Dutch online: apps, courses, teachers and free practice
Apps, online courses, live teachers and the free official practice exams: how to learn Dutch online, what each option is good for, a plan that works from A1 to B1 — and how long it really takes.
Updated · 4 min read
You can learn Dutch online from anywhere — and if you are preparing for the inburgering exam, much of the best material is free and official. What matters is combining the right pieces: daily vocabulary, grammar you understand, listening, and real conversation.
In short: use an app every day for words and sentences, read a grammar guide when something confuses you, practise with the free official exams from DUO and the Staatsexamen NT2, and talk to a person every week. Check your level first with a free level test.
Your options at a glance
| Option | Good for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Free official practice (DUO, Staatsexamen NT2) | knowing exactly what the exams ask | free |
| Daily apps | vocabulary and sentences, every day, in minutes | free to start; paid plans |
| Online courses and schools | structure, a teacher, feedback on writing | paid; inburgering schools can be paid with a DUO loan |
| Live 1-to-1 teachers | speaking, pronunciation, confidence | paid per lesson |
| Grammar guides and verb tables | understanding why | free |
The free official material
DUO, which runs the integration exams, publishes free A2 practice exams for every part — reading, listening, writing, speaking and KNM — and points to netinnederland.nl (videos), oefenen.nl (lessons) and the public library (inburgeren.nl). For B1 and B2, the Staatsexamen NT2 has an official practice environment (Staatsexamens NT2). Use them early: they show you the target. More in free ways to learn Dutch.
Apps: the daily habit
An app is where words become automatic — five to fifteen minutes a day beats an hour on Sunday. Look for active recall (you type or say the answer, you don’t just recognise it), spaced review, audio, and sentences, not only single words. Our comparison: the best apps to learn Dutch.
Grammar: understand it once
Dutch grammar is learnable in a few rules: the verb second (word order), de or het, the perfect with hebben or zijn. Our grammar hub has 14 guides in reading order, and every verb has a table with a recording: zijn, hebben, gaan, kunnen, moeten, willen.
Speaking: you need a person
Apps and exams record you, but fluency grows in conversation. Book a weekly lesson with a teacher — on Edluxio you can find teachers and professionals in many fields and start with a trial lesson with full refund — join a language café, or talk with colleagues. The speaking exam guide has model answers to practise.
A plan from A1 to B1
- Week 1: take the level test; learn greetings and the phrasebook basics; read pronunciation.
- Months 1–3 (A1→A2): 16 new words a day by topic; the present tense; questions and negation; one short conversation a week.
- Months 4–6 (A2): the perfect and the simple past; modal verbs; DUO’s A2 practice exams; writing short messages.
- Months 7–12 (A2→B1): connected speech with omdat, want, daarom; listening every day; the NT2 practice environment; a 12-week exam plan.
How long? The US Foreign Service Institute puts Dutch among the languages closest to English: about 24 weeks of full-time study (about 552 class hours plus self-study) for its students to reach professional working level (state.gov). A2 and B1 come much sooner — see how long it takes.
Five minutes a day, from your own language
16Word teaches Dutch 16 words and sentences at a time, with audio, spaced review and a game of Blocks between answers — from any of 36 languages. Free to start.
Keep learning
- How long it takes to learn Dutch
- Free ways to learn Dutch
- Dutch grammar, step by step
- The Dutch phrasebook
- The inburgering exams
- Free Dutch level test
- All free Dutch resources
- Verb tables: komen, mogen, zullen, worden, wonen, werken, leren
More guides like this
- The best apps to learn Dutch · Free ways to learn Dutch · How long it takes to learn Dutch
- Is Dutch hard to learn? · How many Dutch words do you need?
Frequently asked questions
Can you learn Dutch online?
Yes. Combine an app for daily vocabulary, grammar guides, the free official practice exams from DUO and the Staatsexamen NT2, and weekly conversation with a teacher or a language partner.
What is the best way to learn Dutch online?
A little every day: words and sentences with active recall, one grammar point at a time, listening daily, and speaking with a person every week. Use the official practice exams to aim at your exam.
Can I learn Dutch online for free?
Much of it: DUO's practice exams, the NT2 practice environment, oefenen.nl, the public library and free grammar guides and verb tables. Apps usually have free levels; live teachers are paid.
How long does it take to learn Dutch?
The US Foreign Service Institute estimates about 24 weeks of full-time study for English speakers to reach professional working level. A2 and B1 come much sooner, depending on hours per week and your languages.
Can I take the inburgering exam online?
No. The exams are taken in person at DUO's exam locations; only the preparation can be online.
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