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Read Dutch one short sentence at a time. Practise following word order and recognising separable verbs in context. The difficulty adapts to your feedback.
Try it nowTatoeba #10734625 · megamanenm · CC-BY-2.0-FR · Original text unchanged.
Approx. A2
Model: openai/gpt-4.1-mini · Rubric: nl-cefr-v1
Notice how the pieces work together before translating every word.
Some Dutch verbs split into two parts in a main clause. The conjugated part comes earlier, while the prefix often appears at the end. Read them together to understand the verb.
For example: Ik bel je morgen op.
I’ll call you tomorrow.
Here, bel and op belong together: opbellen means “to call”. The word morgen tells you the call is tomorrow, even though the verb is in the present tense.
In a Dutch subordinate clause introduced by omdat (“because”), the conjugated verb comes at the end. Read the whole clause before deciding its meaning.
For example: Ik blijf thuis omdat het regent.
I’m staying home because it’s raining.
Here, regent (“is raining”) comes at the end of the omdat clause. In the main clause het regent (“it’s raining”), the verb follows the subject directly.
Put these reading tips into practice
Read Dutch sentences that adapt to your level, with translations when you need them.
A few useful answers
It’s for learners who want focused Dutch reading practice, especially if you know some vocabulary but find longer texts overwhelming. It’s a reading companion, not a complete Dutch course.
Start with short sentences. If Dutch is entirely new to you, learning some basic vocabulary and grammar alongside reading will help. The reading estimates are provisional, not a validated CEFR assessment.
Mark the words you don’t know, then choose “Too easy”, “Next” or “Too hard” to continue. The reader uses your explicit ratings to estimate your reading level and choose suitable sentences. The aim is mostly familiar language with a little room to learn.
Tap a word in the Dutch sentence to see its meaning in context. For a translation of the whole sentence, choose “Translate sentence”.
Reading does not replace speaking or listening practice, but in our experience, reading at a level you can understand through comprehensible input is the most valuable thing you can do to learn Dutch. We recommend combining it with listening and speaking to practise those skills too.
Read the whole clause before deciding its meaning. In “Ik blijf thuis omdat het regent”, regent comes at the end of the clause introduced by omdat (“because”). Look for that verb, then connect it with who is doing what. If there are several verbs, you may find a group of verbs near the end. Start with short clauses and use a translation if you need to check your understanding.
In a sentence such as “Ik bel je morgen op”, read bel and op together: they belong to opbellen (“to call”). The prefix can change the meaning, so a word-by-word translation may miss the whole verb. If you are unsure, check the whole-sentence translation rather than guessing from one part.
Yes. You can try the Dutch reader for free and start practising directly on this page.
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