Anna spreekt vloeiend Nederlands.

Anna speaks Dutch fluently.

Breakdown of Anna spreekt vloeiend Nederlands.

• Anna: Anna
• spreken: to speak
• vloeiend: fluently
• het Nederlands: the Dutch language

Questions & Answers about Anna spreekt vloeiend Nederlands.

Why is there no article before Nederlands?

In Dutch you normally don’t use an article with language names after verbs like spreken, leren, studeren, begrijpen. So you say Anna spreekt Nederlands, not “Anna spreekt het Nederlands.”

• Use het Nederlands when the language is treated as a standalone noun: Het Nederlands van Anna is uitstekend.
• Use in het Nederlands for “in Dutch”: Ze praat in het Nederlands.
• In Belgium you may sometimes hear het Nederlands spreken, but in the Netherlands it’s uncommon in this context.

Why is the verb form spreekt and not spreek?

Because the subject is third person singular (Anna). Present-tense pattern of spreken:

• ik spreek
• jij/je spreekt (but: spreek jij? in questions with inversion)
• hij/zij/het spreekt
• wij/jullie/zij spreken
• u spreekt Don’t confuse spreekt (speaks) with speelt (plays).

Where does the adverb vloeiend go in the sentence?

The neutral word order is exactly as given: Anna spreekt vloeiend Nederlands.

• You can also say: Anna spreekt Nederlands vloeiend (possible, but less common/neutral).
• In a subordinate clause: … dat Anna vloeiend Nederlands spreekt.
• With an intensifier: Anna spreekt heel/erg/zeer vloeiend Nederlands.

Is vloeiend an adverb or an adjective here, and why doesn’t it get an -e?

It can be analyzed two ways, both acceptable:

• Adverb modifying the verb: Ze spreekt vloeiend (Nederlands). Adverbs don’t inflect.
• Adjective modifying the noun “Nederlands” in the phrase vloeiend Nederlands. “Nederlands” is a neuter mass noun (het Nederlands) used without an article here, and in that “indefinite neuter” setting the adjective has no -e: compare koud water (not “koude water”) vs het koude water.

Why is Nederlands capitalized?

Names of languages are capitalized in Dutch, so Nederlands, Engels, Frans, Duits, etc. When used as an adjective derived from a country/people, you also capitalize: Nederlandse grammatica, Engelse boeken.

How do I ask a yes/no or wh-question with this?

• Yes/no: Spreekt Anna vloeiend Nederlands?
• Wh-question (about how well): Hoe goed spreekt Anna Nederlands? or Hoe vloeiend spreekt Anna Nederlands? Note the inversion (verb before subject) in main-clause questions.

What changes in a subordinate clause?

Dutch is verb-second in main clauses but sends the finite verb to the end in subordinate clauses:

• Main: Anna spreekt vloeiend Nederlands.
• Subordinate: … omdat Anna vloeiend Nederlands spreekt.

How do I negate this (not fluent vs not at all)?

• Not fluent: Anna spreekt niet vloeiend Nederlands. (negates the adverb)
• Not at all: Anna spreekt geen Nederlands. (geen negates the noun) You’ll also hear: Ze spreekt geen vloeiend Nederlands (“she doesn’t speak fluent Dutch”), but the most common way to express lack of fluency is with niet vloeiend.

What’s the difference between spreken, praten, and zeggen?

• spreken = to speak (more formal/neutral); the default with languages: Ze spreekt Nederlands.
• praten = to talk/chat; with languages you typically say praten in het Nederlands. Colloquially, Nederlands praten occurs, but spreken is safer.
• zeggen = to say (a specific utterance), not used with languages: ✗ Ze zegt Nederlands.

What’s the difference between vloeiend and vlot?

Both can mean “fluent,” but:

• vloeiend focuses on fluency/proficiency in a language.
• vlot also means “smooth/quick/easygoing.” Ze spreekt vlot Nederlands is common and slightly more colloquial; vloeiend is a bit more formal and specific.

Do I need kan (“can”) to express ability?

Not necessarily. Anna spreekt vloeiend Nederlands already implies the ability. You can add kan to emphasize capability: Anna kan (heel) vloeiend Nederlands spreken, but it isn’t required.

Any pronunciation tips for spreekt, vloeiend, Nederlands?

• spreekt: long ee [eː]; cluster spr- at the start; final -t pronounced clearly.
• vloeiend: the oei is a glide like “oo” + “y” ([uj]), roughly “vlooy-end”; final written -d sounds like -t (final devoicing).
• Nederlands: Ne-der- with long ee [eː]; the final -ds is pronounced like -ts: “nay-der-lahnts.” Regional Rs vary (trilled or uvular), both fine.

Can I boost or soften the statement?

Yes, with common degree adverbs:

• Stronger: heel/erg/zeer — Anna spreekt heel/erg/zeer vloeiend Nederlands.
• Softer: best (wel), tamelijk, redelijk — Anna spreekt redelijk/best wel vloeiend Nederlands.