Dutch Readers

Best books to learn Dutch in 2026, by level (A1 to B2)

The best book depends on your level and on what you need it for: a course book for the first year, a grammar to look things up in, and a reader at your level to actually read. Here is each kind, by level, with what every book is good for and what it is not.

Published 14 October 2026

The short answer

  • Starting from zero with a class: Nederlands in gang (Coutinho) or De opmaat (Boom), the two books most schools use. Starting alone, in English: Complete Dutch (Teach Yourself).
  • A grammar to look things up: Dutch: An Essential Grammar (Routledge). For exercises, Basic Dutch: A Grammar and Workbook.
  • Something to read: a graded reader at your level. At A2, Saïdjah en Adinda from this site, or a Leeslicht book from Eenvoudig Communiceren.

One book of each kind is enough. Five course books on the shelf do not add up to a language.

  1. A1Beginner~500 words
  2. A2Inburgering level~1,000 words
  3. B1Intermediate~2,000 words
  4. B2Upper intermediate~4,000 words
  5. OrigineelThe original text

Course books, by level

A course book takes you from one level to the next in order: a chapter is a situation (at the market, at the doctor), the words for it, a grammar point and exercises. The Dutch publishers (Coutinho, Boom, Intertaal) write theirs entirely in Dutch, for classrooms. The English publishers (Teach Yourself, Routledge) explain in English, for people learning alone. Pick by that first.

Course books for Dutch, from zero to B2. Prices change; check before you buy.
BookLevelExplained inGood forNot for
Nederlands in gang (Coutinho)0 to A2DutchClasses at university language centres and many schools; 16 chapters with online exercises. About 50 euro.Learning alone from zero: it is in Dutch from page one.
De opmaat (Boom)0 to A2DutchInburgering and NT2 schools; a lot of speaking practice.Readers: the texts are short and functional.
Nederlands voor buitenlanders, Delftse methode (Boom)0 to A2Dutch, word lists in 20 languagesLearning by reading and listening to texts; the method closest to how this site works. Works alone with the online audio.People who want the rule before the example: it gives you texts, not grammar.
Contact! 1 (Intertaal)A1 to A2DutchPrivate language schools; clear structure, a lot of listening.Self-study: it is built for a classroom.
Complete Dutch (Teach Yourself)0 to B1EnglishSelf-study without a class: dialogues, grammar notes and audio in one book.Inburgering exam practice: it is a general course.
Colloquial Dutch (Routledge)0 to A2EnglishSelf-study with grammar explained properly; free audio online.People who want many exercises per chapter.
Nederlands in actie (Coutinho)A2 to B1DutchThe step after Nederlands in gang: longer texts, more writing.Beginners.
Tweede ronde, Delftse methode (Boom)A2 to B1Dutch42 lessons of texts and listening; the follow-up to Nederlands voor buitenlanders.Learners who disliked the Delft method the first time.
Nederlands op niveau (Coutinho)B1 to B2DutchTowards Staatsexamen NT2 Programma II; newspaper-style texts.Anyone below B1.

Grammar books

You need one grammar, from about month three, to look up the things your course book explains in one line: word order, de and het, separable verbs, er. You do not need to read it from front to back.

Grammars worth having

  • A2

    Dutch: An Essential Grammar (Routledge)

    The reference grammar in English, by William Z. Shetter and Esther Ham. Clear on word order and the articles. Not a course: no exercises.

  • B1

    Klare taal! (Boom)

    The basic NT2 grammar in Dutch that many classes use. You need A2 to read the explanations, which is also the point.

Readers: books you can actually read

This is the kind most lists forget, and the kind that makes the difference between knowing Dutch and reading Dutch. A graded reader is a real story written within a level: short sentences, controlled vocabulary, the hard words explained. After a beginner course you know about 1,000 words; a book for Dutch adults uses 10,000 or more. Readers fill the gap.

Readers by level

  • A2

    Leeslicht series (Eenvoudig Communiceren)

    Fiction and non-fiction for adults at A2 to B1: a crime story, a football book, Anne Frank. Short chapters, large print, about 8 to 10 euro each. Written for Dutch adults who read little as well as for learners.

  • A2

    Short Stories in Dutch for Beginners (Teach Yourself)

    Eight stories at A2 to B1 with an English glossary and questions, by Olly Richards. A real book you can finish. The stories are the same in every language of the series, so you learn Dutch, not the Netherlands.

  • B1

    Jip en Janneke (Annie M.G. Schmidt)

    The children's classic every Dutch adult grew up with. Short chapters, but past tense, diminutives and idiom make it harder than it looks. Read it at B1, with pleasure.

Textbook, reader or grammar: what to buy when

Month one to twelve: one course book, ideally with a class or a tutor who corrects you. From month three: one grammar, used as a dictionary of rules. From A2: a reader, and then another one, because at this point reading teaches you more words per hour than any book of exercises. From B1: a B1 reader, a newspaper for children or learners, and the grammar again, for er and the word order of long sentences.

Where to buy

  • bol.com: the fastest for books from Dutch publishers (Coutinho, Boom, Intertaal), usually delivered the next day in the Netherlands.
  • Amazon (amazon.nl, amazon.de, amazon.com): the English-language books from Routledge and Teach Yourself, and the Dutch Readers series.
  • The publishers: Boom sells its NT2 books and the Delft method at nt2.nl; Coutinho sells direct and gives access to the online exercises.
  • The library: every public library has an NT2 shelf with course books, readers and children's books, and most have a free Taalhuis where volunteers help you practise. A membership costs about 45 to 60 euro a year for adults and is free for children.

Some links on this page earn us a small commission. The price is the same for you, and the verdicts above do not change for it.

Our readers, placed where they belong

The Dutch Readers series is not a course and does not replace one. It is the reading rung: after a beginner course, when you can read the free A2 texts on this site without stopping, Saïdjah en Adinda is the first whole book you can read. After a B1 course, Max Havelaar and Wij slaven van Suriname at B1 are the next step. The series page lists every volume.

What is the best book to learn Dutch for a complete beginner?

With a class: Nederlands in gang or De opmaat, whichever your school uses. Alone: Complete Dutch (Teach Yourself), because it explains in English and comes with audio. Add the free texts on this site from the first month, with the audio, even if you only understand half.

Can I learn Dutch from a book alone?

To A2, yes, with a book that has audio and with a lot of reading next to it. From A2 to B1 you need people: a class, a Taalcafé, a colleague who agrees to answer you in Dutch. The book gives you the words; the people give you the speed.

Which books do NT2 schools use?

Most inburgering courses use De opmaat and De sprong (Boom) or Nederlands in gang and Nederlands in actie (Coutinho); university language centres mostly use Nederlands in gang; the Delft method is taught at TU Delft and some private schools. Ask the school before you buy: the book is usually in the course price.

Are there free books to learn Dutch?

Every public library lends the course books above, and the official practice exams at inburgeren.nl are free. On this site, every reading text with audio and glossary is free, and the first chapter of every Dutch Readers volume is free.

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