Dutch language explained to kids

Dutch is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people as a first language and 5 million people as a second language, principally in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language, after English and German. Dutch is a West Germanic language, like English, German, and Afrikaans. It is closely related to both English and German and is therefore sometimes referred to as a "cousin" of those two languages. The Dutch language is also closely related to Frisian, a language spoken in parts of the Netherlands and Germany. Dutch is spoken by around 24 million people as a first language and 5 million people as a second language, principally in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is also an official language of Suriname, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the European Union. Dutch is a relatively easy language to learn for English speakers, as it is quite similar to English in terms of grammar and vocabulary. However, there are some key differences between the two languages that learners should be aware of. For example, Dutch has three genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter), whereas English has only two (masculine and feminine). This means that every Dutch word has a gender, and this must be taken into account when using pronouns and adjectives. Dutch also has a number of unique features, such as the use of the word "het" (meaning "the") instead of "the" in front of nouns that refer to things that are considered neutral (e.g. "het boek" meaning "the book"). If you're interested in learning Dutch, there are a number of resources available, including online courses, apps, and Dutch-language schools.