Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Ik leer Frans.
Why does the Dutch sentence just say Ik leer instead of using a translation for "am"?
In Dutch, the simple present tense (Ik leer, which literally means "I learn") is frequently used for things you are currently doing. You don't need a separate word for "am" here. Simply saying Ik leer Frans is the most natural way to translate "I am learning French."
Are languages like Frans always capitalized in Dutch?
Yes! Just like in English, names of languages and countries get a capital letter in Dutch. So you will always write Frans, Engels, and Nederlands with a capital letter.
How would I ask "Which language are you learning?" using the grammar from this lesson?
You would ask: Welke taal leer je? You must use welke (rather than welk) because the Dutch word for language is de taal. Remember that welke goes with de-words, and welk goes with het-words.