Study plan
A1 · Beginner Dutch study plan
All 53 A1 lessons in order, with reading texts and grammar exercises after each unit.
Unit 1 · First words
- Greetings & politeness — Say hello, goodbye, please and thank you.
- Introducing yourself — Your name, where you’re from and where you live.
Unit 2 · Numbers & time
- Numbers — Count from zero to a hundred.
- Days & telling time — Days of the week and what time it is.
Unit 3 · People & things
- Family — Talk about the people closest to you.
- De or het? — Dutch has two words for “the”.
Unit 4 · Food & drink
- Food — Everyday food and plurals.
- At the café — Order, ask the price and pay.
Unit 5 · Getting around
Unit 6 · Daily life
- Daily routine — Your day, from getting up to going to bed.
- Weather & seasons — Talk about the weather — a national hobby.
Unit 7 · Shopping
- In the shop — Buy things, ask for prices and point at what you want.
- Clothes & colours — Describe what people wear and try things on.
Unit 8 · Me and my day
- Months & dates — Say the date, your birthday and when you were born.
- Jobs — Say what you do for a living and ask others about their work.
- Feelings — Say how you feel: tired, happy, hungry, cold or in a hurry.
Unit 9 · Learning & describing
- In class — Ask the teacher to repeat, explain or slow down — politely.
- Animals — Pets, farm animals and how to make their plurals.
- Opposites — Describe things with common adjective pairs — and say when something is too much.
- Asking questions — Ask who, what, where, when, why and how — and simple yes/no questions.
Unit 10 · Everyday words
- Countries & languages — Say where you're from, what nationality you are and which languages you speak.
- Furniture & things at home — Name the furniture in your home and say where things are.
- Everyday verbs — Twelve verbs you'll use every day — and how to conjugate them.
- Fruit & vegetables — Name common fruit and vegetables, make plurals and say what you like to eat.
Unit 11 · Home, tech & days out
- Household chores — Talk about cleaning, tidying and who does what at home.
- Phones & computers — Talk about laptops, wifi, passwords and apps — and say when something doesn't work.
- Shapes, sizes & materials — Describe what things look like and what they're made of — and compare sizes.
- A day out — Suggest a trip to the park, the zoo or a theme park, and find your way in and out.
Unit 12 · Getting by
- Asking for help — Ask a stranger for help, say you're lost and ask them to say it again.
- Likes & dislikes — Say what you love, what you think is great — and what you can't stand.
- Birthdays — Celebrate a Dutch birthday: candles, presents and congratulating everyone in the circle.
- Pets — Talk about your pets, how you look after them and what they do.
Unit 13 · Eating at home
- Breakfast, lunch & dinner — Say what you eat at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and when.
- Drinks — Offer and order drinks, ask for another one — or say you've had enough.
- Kitchen things — Name the things in the kitchen and help set the table.
- At the bakery — Buy bread, rolls and cake — a whole loaf, half a pie, sliced or not.
Unit 14 · Getting ready
- The bathroom — Talk about washing, showering and the things in the bathroom.
- Head & face — Name the parts of your face and head — and make their plurals.
- Getting dressed — Put on and take off your clothes — and say hem, het or ze for them.
- Colours & trying on — More colours, the changing room, and saying something fits or suits you.
Unit 15 · Family & visitors
- Uncles, aunts & cousins — Talk about your wider family and say whose is whose.
- Children & toys — Talk about toys and games — and make words small with -je.
- School things & subjects — Name school subjects and what's in your school bag.
- Having visitors — Welcome guests at the door, ask them in and say goodbye.
Unit 16 · Out and about
- At the market — Buy fruit and veg by the kilo, pay with coins and notes, and get your change.
- Numbers 13 to 1000 — Count past twelve: teens, tens, twenty-one, hundreds and a thousand.
- In the town centre — Name the sights in the centre and say where things are.
- Short messages — Write and read quick texts: on my way, almost ready, see you later.
Unit 17 · Fun & free time
- Run, jump, climb — Verbs for moving — and saying what you can and can't do.
- At the beach — Sand, sea and sun cream — and saying what you're going to do.
- On the farm — Visit a farm: the animals, the farmer and saying what there is.
- TV, radio & the paper — Talk about what you watch, listen to and read — and agree or disagree.