Is Dutch always a difficult language? Here is one of the many examples that show that many things in Dutch are quite simple... even simpler than English. The word veel is a perfect example.
In Dutch veel means both much or many. In English you have to choose. If something is not really countable you say much and if there are many different units, then you say many. In Dutch you don't have to think about it. Here are some examples:
Veel water = much water
Veel stroopwafels = many stroopwafels...
Keep it simple :)
Can you see that this is easier than English? If you speak Spanish, then you know that there are 4 different versions of veel... You have mucho, muchos, mucha and muchas... The fact that there are 4 different forms can be challenging - certainly in the beginning - if you try to speak Spanish. Every time you need to think of a gender of a next word and then whether it is singular or plural. If you try to learn to learn a language like Greek, it will be even worse... you do not only have 3 genders, singular and plural, you also have cases....
Here is one practical tip for your Dutch. Sometimes you may see vele as well...
Vele is only used in formal language, so you can simply skip it. For example: instead of vele mensen (people), just say veel mensen. That will do the trick. Why make it morre difficult than it already is?
If you like, you can even say how much fun you have with a lot!
And... if you like, you can also describe veel with another word. Here are some examples:
Lekker veel stroopwafels (a nice / tasty amount of stroofwafels)
Tyfus veel insecten (a f*** lot of insects)
Gezellig veel mensen ( a cosy lot of people)
Then, if you like, you can also use the word hoop. Hoop is literally a heap, a pile...
Een hoop is always informal. Here are some more examples:
Ik heb al een hoop woorden (I already have a lot of words)
Ik heb een hoop vrije tijd (I Have lots of free time)
Once again, Dutch is often simpler than many other languages. The more you can see this, the easier it will be for you to make more progress. Yes... Dutch can be challenging as well and... if you also see that not everything is that hard, you'll learn it with more ease...
How does it work in your language? Is it easy to say veel? Share your thoughts here....
