The small word 'er' in the Dutch language. Practising Dutch conversation NT2

I also like to practise Dutch with people who already speak Dutch rather well at A2 or B1 level.

A lot of people want to improve their Dutch language skills further.

To become more comfortable in speaking Dutch there are a few fantastic books around like 'TAALTEMPO' by Pauline Kuiper-Jong and 'Wat is er?' by Martine Pirreault.

A very interesting book to use to practise Dutch conversation is 'Wat is er?' by Martine Pirreault.

Wat is 'ER'?

The word 'er' is a small word but it is very typical for the Dutch language.

‘Wat is er? Conversatieoefeningen NT2’ is a book written by Martine Pirreault.

It is aimed at intermediate and advanced Dutch language learners (NT2). The focus of the book is on improving conversational skills related to the use of the word “er.”

Rather than emphasizing writing, the book helps learners practice speaking and responding quickly to auditory input. It covers basic structures of Dutch, expands vocabulary, and pays attention to prosody (accent, rhythm, and intonation).  

I really like practising these short exercises with my cliënts.

Brief overview of the functions of 'er':

1. 'er' in combination with a number or quantity.                                                                                         (refering function)

              Hoeveel broers heb jij?             Ik heb er drie.

              Hoeveel cd's heb jij?                  Ik heb er veel.

2. 'er' in combination with a non-specific subject.                                                                                         (grammatical function)

     This 'er'  takes the place of the subject and presents/introduces a new and informatively important subject.

               Er zit een kat op de stoel.

               Er staat iemand voor de deur.

3. 'er' as an indication of place.                                                                                                                          (referring function)

               Woont hij in Gent?             Ja, hij woont er al drie jaar.

4. 'er' in combination with a preposition.                                                                                                         (referring function)

               Kijk jij naar het Journaal?            Ja, ik kijk er elke dag naar.

5. 'er' as subject in a passive sentence without a real subject.                                                                     (grammatical function)

               Er wordt gebeld.

Usually 'er' makes the sentence shorter because 'er' often repeats information from the previous sentence. Sometimes there is 'er' twice in one sentence.

             Hoeveel slaapkamers zijn er?                Er zijn er twee.

You can find the book at Bol.com:

bol.com | Zoekresultaten voor 'wat is er? conversatieoefening'

Marcel Beunen Persoonlijke Begeleiding / Dutch language training

While  the Dutch language presents challenges, there are also many ways to make learning fun and easier! 😊 .

I try to keep my sessons very interactive. This is possible because I work with people individually.

I also try to encourage people to just start talking Dutch as much as possible. The sooner the better!