[davedx]

English speaker who moved to the Netherlands here.

My experience was it isn't particularly easier or harder than any other language to learn.

The grammar and word ordering is different enough that you really have to study and practice a lot how to structure sentences. Pronunciation of some sounds (like 'ui') can be pretty hard if you've never had to make those sounds before in your life.

But indeed the spelling is much more consistent than English, which definitely helps a ton with reading and writing.

I moved to the NL 14 years ago, took the Staatsexamen for naturalisation after Brexit, have had a couple of jobs where Dutch was the first language, but my Dutch still isn't perfect and I regularly make mistakes.

That being said, I am now finally at the stage where I can go on a day trip to Amsterdam and the locals don't speak English back to me when I speak Dutch. :)

[lucb1e]

> I am now finally at the stage where I can go on a day trip to Amsterdam and the locals don't speak English back to me when I speak Dutch.

Was in Amsterdam again yesterday for the first time in a couple years and was again surprised to notice how many people just default to English, or waiters who speak back to me in English after me ordering in (my native) Dutch. Finding people to speak Dutch back to you in Amsterdam is an impressive feat in itself! :D Either way, congrats on becoming accentless enough that people don't hear it anymore and jump on the opportunity to speak English!

[davedx]

Thank you, that's kind of you to say. It's been a journey! :)

[simsla]

> That being said, I am now finally at the stage where I can go on a day trip to Amsterdam and the locals don't speak English back to me when I speak Dutch. :)

That's seriously impressive. Dutch is my mother tongue and they still respond to me in English! (Although I speak a slightly different dialect, Flemish, from Belgium.)

[thfuran]

>My experience was it isn't particularly easier or harder than any other language to learn.

Then I suspect you've never tried to learn languages that are very different from English like Mandarin, Hungarian, or Tamil.

[davedx]

I've also tried Japanese, Swahili, Arabic and Hebrew. Languages with completely different writing systems obviously have a significant extra hurdle. And of course, it depends how well you want to learn it. Becoming fluent enough to get by when you travel somewhere for a holiday or business trip is one thing; becoming proficient enough to do job interviews and work full time professionally with that language is another kettle of fish. :)