See how Dutch writing, pronunciation and grammar shape what you need to notice.
Writing and sound
Dutch spelling is standardized across the Netherlands, Flanders and Suriname, while pronunciation remains regionally varied. The famous g may sound harder in the north or softer in Belgium and the southern Netherlands; both are standard.
Grammar and usage
The finite verb normally takes second position in a main clause, but verbs gather near the end of a subordinate clause. Nouns take de or het, and every diminutive (including meisje) takes het.
What to notice as a learner
Memorize nouns with their article and separable verbs inside a full sentence, then rebuild that sentence as a question or subordinate clause. Sentence cards make word order easier to retrieve than isolated rules.