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CEFR A1 · complete beginners

Dutch for beginners, done properly

A live online A1 course with a native Dutch teacher — a small group, real sentences out loud from lesson one, and honest feedback on where you stand.

See start dates & prices ↓Book a free level check

Upcoming A1 start dates

Live availability — dates, prices and seats come straight from our course planning.

A1.2

Dutch A1.2 Intensive Course

  • Starts: October 5, 2026
  • When: Monday & Wednesday, 20:00–21:00
  • Teacher: Lorenzo Loorbach
€135.00
Enroll NowDetails
A1.1

Dutch A1.1 Intensive Course

  • Starts: October 6, 2026
  • When: Tuesday & Thursday, 18:30–19:30
  • Teacher: Lorenzo Loorbach
€135.00
Enroll NowDetails
Different schedule?

Need different days or times?

Tell us which days of the week and times you could study A1 — we plan new start dates around what people ask for, and contact you when a group that fits opens.

Request a class that fits your week
Not sure?

Not sure which level you are?

Tell us a little about your Dutch and we'll tell you where to start — free, in English, not a test.

Book a free level check

What you'll learn — the A1 route

3 blocks of ten one-hour lessons, each a complete course with its own start dates. You pay per block, and your teacher tells you exactly what to take next.

Cover of Nederlands in gang, the A1–A2 course book

Nederlands in gang · Boom

All group lessons at this level follow Nederlands in gang, a standard NT2 course book used across Dutch language education. The book itself is not included in the course price — order your own copy so you can write in it and keep it.

View and order
  1. Block 1 · A1.1

    First conversations & basics

    Course book chapters 1–3 · Welkom · In de kantine · In het café

    What you can do: Introduce yourself, spell names, talk about your family, tell the time, make basic conversation at work or school, and order food or drinks at a café.

    Grammar focus
    • Present tense verbs & subject pronouns (ik, jij, hij…)
    • Standard sentence structure (hoofdzin) & question forms (yes/no questions and question words)
    • Inversion — changing word order after time/place (Morgen werk ik)
    • Possessive pronouns (mijn, jouw…)
    • Articles (de / het / een) & ordinal numbers
  2. Block 2 · A1.2

    Going out, shopping & making plans

    Course book chapters 4–6 · Op straat · Op de markt · In een restaurant

    What you can do: Greet people on the street, arrange meetups, buy fresh produce at the market, ask about prices, and order full meals or ask for the bill at a restaurant.

    Grammar focus
    • Making suggestions using zullen (Zullen we koffie drinken?)
    • Plural nouns (meervoud)
    • Adjective endings (een grote appel vs. een groot huis)
    • Giving commands & instructions (imperatief)
    • Modal verbs for wishes, abilities and duties (willen, kunnen, moeten, mogen)
  3. Block 3 · A1.3

    Everyday living, housing & health

    Course book chapters 7–9 · In een kledingzaak · Bij de makelaar · Bij de huisarts

    What you can do: Shop for clothes (sizes, fits, colours), look for a room or house with an estate agent, describe home furnishings, and explain physical health complaints to a doctor (de huisarts).

    Grammar focus
    • Comparatives and superlatives (mooi, mooier, mooist)
    • Demonstratives (deze, die, dit, dat) & object pronouns (mij, jou, hem…)
    • Negation with niet and geen
    • Spatial prepositions (in, op, naast…) & indefinite words (iets / niets)
    • The present perfect tense (het perfectum) to talk about past events

What is A1 Dutch?

A1 is the first level of the CEFR, the six-step scale (A1 to C2) used across European language education. At A1 you can introduce yourself, ask and answer simple questions, handle everyday phrases, and understand people who speak slowly and clearly. Our A1 courses take you there from zero, in three sub-levels (A1.1, A1.2, A1.3) taught live online by native Dutch teachers.

You are hereA1first phrasesA2everyday basicsB1independentB2fluent & preciseC1near-nativeC2mastery

The CEFR is the six-level European standard for language ability. Our group courses run A1–B2; beyond that, C1 coaching is private and on request.

And after A1? After A1, everyday exchanges stop being scary — and you’re ready for A2, where real everyday independence starts.

How the course runs

You speak in every single lesson

Live video classes capped at eight students — small enough that speaking Dutch isn't optional, it's the whole point. Not a webinar, not an app. We're an Amsterdam school; you join from wherever you are.

NT2-certified native teachers

Native speakers with the NT2 teaching certification — professionally trained to teach Dutch as a second language, not just to speak it. They benchmark your progress against the official CEFR scale and tell you the truth about it.

Ten focused lessons per block

Each block is ten live lessons of 60 minutes, typically meeting twice a week — one complete step of your level with its own start date and price, so you always know exactly what you are committing to.

Never lose the thread

Notes and materials are shared after every class, so a missed session doesn't become a lost week — you catch up before the next lesson and walk in ready.

"I have really enjoyed the Dutch classes I have attended at GoBeyondDutch! Lorenzo is an amazing teacher and as a beginner it was a smooth learning process."
BI

Benedetta Iurilli

Beginner course · Google review

Real 5-star review from our students on Google.

A1 questions, straight answers

Is A1 the right level if I already know a few words?
Yes. A1 covers everything from absolute zero to your first real conversations, and words picked up from apps or daily life just make the first weeks smoother. If you can already hold short everyday exchanges in Dutch, book a free level check first — we’ll tell you honestly whether to start at A1.2, A1.3 or even A2 instead.
How long does it take to finish A1?
A1 is split into three consecutive blocks — A1.1, A1.2 and A1.3 — and each block is a complete course with its own start dates. How fast you move through them depends on the schedule you pick and how much you practise between lessons. We commit to the structure and to honest feedback on your progress, never to a level by a fixed date.
Are the lessons taught in English or in Dutch?
Both, deliberately. Instructions and grammar explanations start in English so you’re never lost, while the Dutch you hear and speak grows every week. You’ll say real Dutch sentences out loud from the very first lesson — the goal is for Dutch to gradually take over the classroom at a pace a beginner can actually follow.
What happens if I miss a class?
Life happens. Group sessions aren’t recorded, to protect everyone’s privacy, but your teacher shares notes and materials after every class so you can catch up before the next one. If you know in advance you’ll miss a session, say so — your teacher will flag anything important that came up.
Do I need to buy books or materials before the course starts?
No. Each course page lists the materials that group uses, and your teacher shares notes, exercises and links as you go. Buying a random “learn Dutch” book in advance usually means buying the wrong one — wait until you’ve enrolled and know what your group is working with.

Your first Dutch sentence is closer than you think

Join an A1 group and start speaking from lesson one — or book a free level check first if you’d rather talk it through. In English, of course.

See start datesBook a free level check