Reviews (28)

Great Book
I got the book and cd pack, and It is soooo worth it. Definately I recommend it to anyone who wants to begin fluency in a foreign language. There is so much information in it. There are a couple negatives though: In programs like Pimsleur you don't even need to use the program very often and the words stick easily. However, as far as Pimsleur goes it is not worth paying 200 dollars to learn 10 phrases. This is the best bet for your money but you need to be commited and willing for it to have the fullest potential. Other than that this is the absolute best language program as far as content, money, and grammar. Awesome book.

These Books are Excellent
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the Dutch Language with a rather high level of fluency in a speedy manner. The dialogues in the book were nice, and the CD's really give you an edge in your learning. I had the books for 3 days and was already conversing in decently complicated sentences. After a few weeks I had finished the book and had found that I was conversing beautifully, and even got positive comments from some dutch speakers. However, this was only on the writing side of it. My only complaint with the series is that it doesn't really help you to be able to hear it and recognize it. In hearing a true Dutch Person speak it, I found myself unable to listen to what they were saying and understand it. Other than that, the books are excellent.

Excellent course - I recommend without hesitation.
I spend six months as an exchange student in Amsterdam - I got hold of this book two months before I went and worked through it thoroughly.It is absolutely excellent.I was prepared for all the basic everyday things very well, and Dutch people were surprised but delighted at how well I could speak the language.The dialogues on the CD are very good practice, particularly since some speakers speak in the Belgian (Flemish) accent, so you can also get used to that.The pace is fast, and I had to listen to some dialogues several times before I could understand every word, but that's no reason not to get it.I've just bought the TY Spanish book which is equally great. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio - Language    2. Audio Adult: Language    3. Dictionaries - General    4. Dutch    5. Dutch Language    6. Foreign Language Study    7. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    8. Foreign Language Study / Dutch   

Reviews (7)

Outstanding for the novice on a short trip
This book was exactly what I needed to navigate japan beyond Tokyo.I was on business for 6 days in NE Japan, and was able to frequently use this book to help me get around.English may be common in Tokyo, but outside it is much less so.

Indispensible aid to communicating in Japanese
This phrasebook was used as a "textbook" by a Japanese student who tutored me in Japanese before a recent trip to Japan. It contained many helpful phrases for a lot of situations you will encounter when traveling in Japan. I consider this critical for "survival Japanese"--contrary to what you may have heard, everyone does NOT speak English. I used this book in talking to cab drivers, making a train reservation, ordering food, asking directions, making purchases. I gave this four stars instead of five because this lacks some elements you need to be understood. The biggest one is knowing how the Japanese accent words.Also missing was the discussion of the differences in using different numbers for different objects.I was able to "fill in the gaps" from my tutor and the Pimsleur Japanese tapes.All in all, a great reference book for travelers.

Simply the best tool out there
I have been living in Japan for over two years now and this thing is stillin my back pocket (albeit a bit ratty now).Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Japanese    4. Japanese Language    5. Language    6. Polyglot Phrasebooks    7. Dutch    8. Language self-study & phrasebooks   

Reviews (5)

Excellent Quick Reference
An excellent quick reference for all your travel language necessities in Europe. And it's a handy little size too.

Minority languages
it is great to see the smaller langauges of Europe in this guide!!
Even covers Welsh!
If you plan to travel all over Europe, this book may get you through and save the time and trouble of carrying a different phrasebook for each country. It is small, just slightly larger than the average palm and full of basic phrases.
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Subjects:  1. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    2. Foreign Language Study    3. General    4. Language    5. Multi-Language Phrasebooks    6. Translating & Interpreting    7. Basque    8. Dutch    9. Europe    10. German    11. Irish Gaelic    12. Language self-study & phrasebooks    13. Maltese    14. Modern Greek    15. Scottish Gaelic    16. Travel & holiday guides    17. Welsh    18. Western Continental Europe   

Reviews (4)

THE book you need
I totally agree with the other reviews about the value of this book. I have (and still use) Henry Stern's Dutch grammar book, but was to the point where I needed more information. Well, I sure got it! I was searching for something good but not quite as expensive as this book, but finally broke down and got it. It's well worth the cost. The most useful Dutch grammar you will ever need
Somewhere out there there may be a more comprehensive Dutch grammar for English speakers, but you won't need it unless you are a scholar. This book covers pretty much every useful grammatical topic you will need for learning Dutch. Thankfully, Dutch is not a particularly difficult language for English speakers, so that fact helps keep the size of this grammar manageable. Any assiduous student should be able to master it in less that six months. After reading it you should be able to read any newspaper; and although speaking is a totally different animal, there is no reason you should not have a good grounding in speaking proper Dutch. The book, however, does not delve into colloquialisms to a great degree.

Great Dutch grammar
That's a very good grammar. I'm a Portuguese native speaker and it is very difficult to a Latin language speaker to learn a Germanic language, butthis grammar made it easier. It even helped me with the German language.This one is great for beginners, everyone should buy it. With this book Iwas glad twice: I started to study an interesting language (Dutch) and Ibegan to understand a very difficult language (German). Buy it, you won'tbe disappointed. It gives you a comprehensive explanation about all pointsof the Dutch language. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dutch    2. Dutch language    3. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    4. Foreign Language Study    5. Grammar    6. Language    7. Germanic & Scandinavian languages    8. Grammar & vocabulary    9. Grammar, syntax, linguistic structure    10. Juvenile Nonfiction / Foreign Language Study   

Editorial Review

It's a petite book, small enough and light enough to sit easily in your hip or jacket pocket without being a burden, yet it covers all the bases, including Read more

Reviews (4)

Great Travel Book
This book will come in very handy for my trip to Greece.The book is easy to follow and use.It's a great guide.

Very good phrasebook for non-Greek speakers
This book will help you communicate in Greek very well. The sections are divided up into easy-to-find, color-coded categories (basic expressions, accommodations, eating, travel sightseeing, leisure, making friends, stores & services, health) and include the Greek word, the English translation, and the proper pronunciation. A great reference!

The phrase book you want to have on your person in Greece
One big advantage to the "Berlitz Greek Phrase Book & Dictionary" is that it feets easily in your back pocket, shirt pocket, purse, whatever.The key thing is to pay attention to the pronunciation guide (as you travel around Greece you can practice by sounding out words on signs and such).You will do a lot better if you can look at the Greek words and sound out the words rather than relying on the phonetic spellings in English.The first key section covers Basic Expressions, so the basics are up front where they need to be.Other sections deal with key areas such as Accommodations, Eating Out, Travel, Sightseeing, Leisure, Making Friends, Stores & Services, and Health.The back of the book has both an English-Greek dictionary & index as well as a Greek-English glossary, along with a nice little Reference section (public holidays, maps, emergency, info, etc.). The final comment is that you have to make a real effort to use what you learn because you will probably be stunned at how many people speak English.We just came back from a week there and we had no problems.Still, it was nice to be able to show I knew a little something and was not afraid to totally embarrass myself by opening my mouth.You might be using some other book to learn the language, but for carting around this little Berlitz book is the obvious choice. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Greek (Modern)    4. Greek Language    5. Language    6. Dutch    7. Language self-study & phrasebooks    8. Modern Greek   

Reviews (11)

Not that good
This isn't a very good grammer book. I get slowed down by the complicated and concise language. Probably the best thing to say about this is that it is overly concise.

not bad for small book
This book is quite useful if you already have a companion pronunciation book or cd.It explains the Dutch grammar well, but for a beginner, you may wish to start with something else.Not bad as a supplement to another language book.

Great Introductory Grammar
This is the perfect grammar for anyone who is just starting to learn Dutch.It presents eveything you need to know clearly and concisely without going into unnecessary detail.And it's a bargain!Those who continue studying will eventually need something more detailed, but this is definitely the place to start.For advanced students I recommend the excellent Dutch: A Comprehensive Grammar by Bruce Donaldson (Routledge), but I found it to be too much information for beginners. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dutch    2. Dutch language    3. English    4. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    5. Grammar    6. Language    7. Textbooks for foreign speakers    8. Foreign Language Study / General    9. Grammar & vocabulary   

Reviews (7)

Recommended only for weekend travellers...
My husband is Icelandic, and unfortunately this book was NO help at all... It's perfectly fine for the traveller, but in trying to live everyday life, conversing with new family members forget it. I would have liked to have seen a more comprehensive grammatical section, something that was laid out in something easy to look at and understand. If you are quite serious about learning this language I would honestly recommend saving the 20 bucks and buying the bit more expensive Colloquial Icelandic.For me at least, it's quite easier to understand, has complete grammatical charts in the back, as well as a fairly decent dictionary...Again, if you are only learning for business trips and such, then this would be a good option... For those of us actually moving there, her book is not so good...

An excellent resource!
This is an excellent resource for those who want to learn the language of the Icelanders.I am very impressed at the tight relationship between the book and the CD's.Lessons on the CD follow exactly those in the book.
Icelandic Review
The Icelandic learning program is well-presented and well-written. The dialogues are concise and aidful enough to allow the learner to understand the language much easily. The audio CDs is a must for the program as this is a language which requires careful listening and imitation of the sounds.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Danish    3. Danish Language    4. Dictionaries - General    5. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    6. Foreign Language Study    7. Miscellaneous    8. Scandinavian Languages    9. Foreign Language Study / Miscellaneous   

Reviews (2)

Useful for an experienced language learner
I found this the most useful text for learning Dutch of the several I own.The tapes and the exercises are excellent.In particular, the exercises are very, very extensive.If you work your way through all of them, you will really get a firm handle on issues like word order that others gloss over. (And Dutch word order is tricky enough that you really need a lot of explicit exercises.) very useful guide
very useful guide to learn modern dutch ... but don't forget to practice! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Young Adult Misc. Nonfiction    2. Dutch    3. Dutch Language    4. Foreign Language Study    5. General    6. Language    7. Text-books for foreign speaker    8. Dutch language--Textbooks for foreign speakers    9. For GNVQ (General National Vocational Qualification)    10. Foreign Language Study / General    11. Modern languages (ie other than English)   

Reviews (8)

Great book, one of best in the series
This book should really be 1500 Dutch verbs, since the most useful part of the book is the section with 1500 verbs giving the reader the infinitive, simple past, and past participle, and indicating if there is separable prefix, along with translation.This is particularly useful in Dutch.There are also 201 verbs fully conjugated, but this is not so important as in some languages since most Dutch verbs conjugate quite regularly once you know the past and the participles.Its still good to have as a beginner of course.I would say this book is much better than some of the other 201 verbs books. I have 201 Italian, Spanish and Russian Verbs too, and they don't have any of the extras that this book has, such as the grammar summary and other bonus sections.This book is so good, in fact, I recommend it for those who don't even have an interest in the Dutch language.You just might after you browse through this great book!

Terrific reference book for conjugated verbs
My textbooks for the other languages I have studied always included a conjugation guide to most common irregular verbs at the back.When I discovered that my Dutch textbook lacked this feature, I invested in this book.Although my Dutch-English dictionary includes a brief listing of irregular verb formations in the beginning, the format of this book is significantly easier to understand.I particularly use it when I need to double-check my spelling (a feature for which my dictionary is nearly useless).I'm afraid that I'll have to disagree with the previous reviewer's assertion that public humiliation is the only way to learn (Dutch) spelling.I am a native English speaker and I still use my Webster's Unabridged nearly every day; there's no reason I shouldn't be able to do the same in Dutch.

"My What Strong Verbs You have, Mr. Stern!"
The 201 Verbs series provides an easy crutch for learning those new conjugations but beware: One becomes too easily addicted to looking up the right spelling of that strong verb without thinking. An over-reliance on this kind of aide prevents one from developing the natural "taalvoel" to predict the correct form that only develops through mistakes and public humiliation in front of smug Dutch speakers.Use it, but look for the irregular patterns and try to predict how that irregular verb conjugates.Helpful as this book is in the beginning, throw it away as soon as you can.Stern includes a quick n' dirty review of grammer but his "Essential Dutch Grammer" is much better for a quick treatment.For a reference grammer for the average English speaking person, Donaldson's grammer is the best.Read more

Subjects:  1. Dutch    2. Dutch Language    3. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    4. Tables    5. Verb    6. Foreign Language Study / Dutch    7. Grammar & vocabulary   

Features

• Abridged
• Audiobook
• Unabridged

Subjects:  1. Audio - Language    2. Danish    3. Danish Language    4. Foreign Language Study    5. Language    6. Foreign Language Study / Danish   

Reviews (5)

An Exhaustive, Encyclopedic, Grammar Reference.
It would be difficult to imagine a more complete work on descriptive, Danish grammar, or any grammar, for that matter.You name it, it's covered here: orthography, sentence structure, verbs, adjectives, the list is very long(in fact, the very well organized index is 23 pages).Some readers have expressed the opinion that this book is very "British" but it is not.It is just very precise.For example, the terms copulatives(copulative conjuntions) and disjunctives(disjunctive conjunctions) are terms expressing the types of conjunctions used to join items and those used to separate them(as in the English "and" and "or").Many readers might not be accustomed to such terminology, but the book actually does not assume that the reader is.It explains these terms and often makes comparisons to English.This is not a book that a beginner should use to learn Danish all by itself.There are no reading lessons , for example, nor is it organized for tutorial presentation.It is a reference, but one that is very usable by students and speakers of all levels.There is also a similar volume in this series on Swedish grammar.The binding is also quite nice.It is sewn in signature.

The Bible of Danish Grammar
This is the most comprehensive book of Danish grammar I have ever read! Even my Danish friends wanted this book so they could understand their own grammar. Its perfect for beginners and a great reference book for more advanced speakers of this often times difficult language. The only problem with this book (and the reason why I gave it 4 stars) is that it is written in very high formal British English, which is different from formal American English. This can often times confuse the reader, but not to a large extent. All in all, this is an excellent book and well worth the price. I plan on using this book the rest of my life (and the rest of my exchange year here in Denmark).

Explaining Danish grammar when the Danes can't
I moved to DK several years ago. I had a few months of formal instruction, but still find it difficult to get answers to the "why" questions surrounding Danish grammar. Most Danes I have met cannot explain their own language's grammar rules, and also admit to not knowing or using proper grammar as well as they should. This book has definitely aided my language skills and provdes a handy reference as well, especially with professional correspondence. Highly recommended as a supplement to Danish instruction. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Danish    2. Danish Language    3. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    4. Grammar    5. Language    6. English    7. English grammar    8. Germanic & Scandinavian languages    9. Grammar & vocabulary    10. Juvenile Nonfiction / Foreign Language Study   

Subjects:  1. General    2. History & Surveys - 17th/18th Century    3. Philosophy   

Features

• Abridged
• Audiobook

Reviews (3)

A Good Basis in Dutch
I recently moved to Belgium for my wife and I used this course to get me familiar with the basics of the Dutch language and it does an excellent job of that.It won't by any means make you fleunt, but it covers enough "survival" Dutch to get you by.I do wish they had had a comprehensive 3-level course, but I was very happy with what I learned and the ease of doing so.I would recommend going through this course before continuing with the more expensive Rosetta Stone.
Excellent as far as it goes.
This is a short introduction to useful phrases inDutch.It was very helpful as far as it went, but it would be great if Pimsleur were to do a full 3 course series for this language.I've used Pimsleur for one other language and they are the best tapes I've used.Pronunciation is very clear andunmistakable.This course was worth the money, but I wish it would have gone further.

Great as far as it goes.
I used this course intensively prior to a trip to the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, and found it very useful.Like all the Pimsleur abridged sets, this course is tantalizingly brief -- it leaves you wanting more. Nonetheless, what these courses do, they do well, and that is to inspireyour confidence to open your mouth and speak the language.I wascomfortable exchanging polite pleasantries in Dutch and ordering meals anddrinks in restaurants -- no mean feat where people are only too happy tospeak to you in English! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio - Language    2. Audio Adult: Language    3. Dutch    4. Foreign Language Study    5. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    6. Foreign Language Study / Dutch   

Reviews (4)

Mostly serviceable
Right now this is the most complete Danish dictionary Amazon stocks.I agree with the other reviewers about its shortcomings.While it does give the gender of Danish nouns, it doesn't give the plurals.Some common idioms are listed, but the selection seems to have been made with Danish speakers in mind.I recommend using this dictionary in conjunction with a purely Danish "retskrivnings" dictionary like Politiken's Danskordbog.If you find yourself in Denmark, buy the two-volume red Gyldendals dictionary ($80 each, special-ordered at Amazon) edited by Jens Axelsen.Gyldendals, unfortunately, doesn't give pronunciations either.If you want something to hold in your hand while you stroll through museums, buy the Berlitz.

Buy a Different One if You Can
I'm in total agreement with the other two reviews.This dictionary has the vocabulary in place--but that's where a dictiorary's job should start.It's where the Routledge dictionary ends.Really necessary in a translation dictionary are the genders, plural forms, verb forms, good pronunciation keys, and idiomatic usages; even better are cross-referencing of cognates and "false friends," entries to help you understand nuances and etymology.This dictionary is sorely lacking in all these categories--most aggravating is the lack of plural forms, verb forms, and irregular forms in general.You can use this dictioary to read Danish, but you sure can't use it to help you write the language (not unless you want to write the Danish equivalent of "Me go store and buy two bits bread").Routledge (I imagine) wouldn't have done this with an Italian or French dictionary: Danish is a small language and, with a cornered market, they did a cheap, slapdash job. Fortunately, there is a very good Danish-English Dictionary available.Unfortunately, it is published (as far as I can tell) only in Denmark.They're really good.

Danish side needs work
I agree completely with the previous reviewer.Routledge has published in a relatively inexpensive format a dictionary originally published in Denmark.The only addition is a VERY inadequate section on Danish pronunciation and noun and verb inflection.The dictionary should havepronunciations for all the Danish headwords and grammatical information onplurals, irregular verbs, etc., at the headwords.This has the potentialto be a great dictionary for English-speaking learners of Danish.As itis, assuming it's aimed at the English-speaking market, why did Routledgeeven bother? Very disappointing. Danish deserves better. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Danish    2. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    3. Language    4. Bilingual dictionaries    5. Germanic & Scandinavian languages    6. Juvenile Nonfiction / Foreign Language Study    7. Language teaching & learning material & coursework   

Reviews (2)

a first edition?
I am currently taking a first class in Dutch and using this book as the text.I have found it fine as far a grammar goes, but the organization of vocabulary is terrible.The words are not really grouped according to any theme stronger than a conversation at the end of each chapter.For example the word appel (apple) is found many chapters ahead of the verb eten (to eat).This makes both learning these word lists and carrying on mock conversations quite difficult.I don't know Dutch, but I feel in this respect I could construct a better textbook.

Excellent Grammar Book!
A couple of years ago, I started learning nederlands.I bought CD's and tapes and learned lots of vocabulary, but had no idea how to put the words together to make a coherent sentence. Read more

Subjects:  1. Dutch    2. Dutch language    3. English    4. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    5. Grammar    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Textbooks for foreign speakers    9. Foreign Language Study / Dutch    10. Grammar & vocabulary    11. Grammar, syntax, linguistic structure   

Subjects:  1. Dutch    2. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    3. Foreign Language Study    4. French    5. Language    6. Language teaching & learning material & coursework   

Reviews (2)

only if you are real beginner
Many important words and common expressions missing, makes it no so handy. For this price, better by the full version from Porto Editora. The Dutch Dictionary
This book provides a fairly comprehensive translation of Dutch to English and English to Dutch. It provides some guidance on word usage and grammar. Be warned, however, because the book doesn't exactly provide any assistance in pronouncing any of the Dutch words. If you have spoken only English all your life, Dutch pronunciation can make your life interesting! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Dutch    3. Dutch language    4. English    5. English language    6. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    7. Language    8. Bilingual dictionaries   

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries - General    2. Dutch    3. Dutch Language    4. Foreign Language Study    5. Language    6. Reference    7. Bilingual dictionaries    8. English   

Subjects:  1. Conversation and phrase books    2. Dutch    3. Dutch language    4. English    5. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    6. Foreign Language Study    7. Language    8. Self-instruction    9. Textbooks for foreign speakers    10. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    11. Foreign Language Study / Dutch    12. Language teaching & learning material & coursework   

Reviews (4)

Adequate for Beginners
I found this dictionary to be useful up until the time I began an intermediate level language class in the Netherlands.It wasn't quite comprehensive enough, even for in-class assignments.My biggest complaint with it: many of the definitions given in the Dutch to English section were unfortunately not present from English to Dutch, making it great for looking up Dutch words that you don't know, but it left me frustrated when searching for the Dutch equivalent of many English words and phrases.That being said, I think that it is more than adequate to use as a pocket dictionary or for quick references.I use it when I read Dutch newspapers and novels.If you want to go for something with more in-depth definitions, invest in one of the Van Dale dictionaries.Their hefty price is well worth it.

Absolutely the best!
This is by far the best English-Dutch dictionary available.It has several significant advantages over any of the others I have seen for sale: 1) It provides the phonetic pronunciation for every word; 2) It provides the gender and how to form the plural for every noun; 3) It's up to date and contains many more recent words and usages; 4) For many entries, it offers useful phrases or idiomatic expressions using the word; 5) For English idioms that can't be translated literally, it often provides an equivalent Dutch phrase.The dictionary is comprehensive, but still a manageable size.It's attractive and the printing is clear and easy to read.Don't waste your time or money buying anything else; this is reasonably priced and worth every penny.I only wish it was still available in hardcover because mine has seen much use.

The Best Dutch-English Dictionary You Can Buy
This is the best Dutch-English dictionary I've seen.The other dictionaries I've looked at (and unfortunately bought) had one of several problems: Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Dutch    3. Dutch language    4. English    5. English language    6. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    7. Foreign Language Study    8. Language    9. Bilingual dictionaries    10. Foreign Language Study / Dutch