I’ve been told my attempts to speak Dutch will be met with incredulous reply.... But that never stopped a bull head like me from trying :-). I always try and learn enough of a language and culture to be respectful. Just a simple gesture to show that i have respect for their way of life. It goes a long way with most humans and most cultures.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have any chance of learning enough to converse for more than a few exchanges. Heck, the word ‘alstubleift’ gets you a long way, but Dutch is a very tough language to learn. At least thats my impression.
The word is “alstublieft” and is pronounced “als ...juh... blieft.” It’s the Dutch version of “if you please.”
There are also the two versions of “you.” The very polite “U” (pronounced sort of like “ooh” or like the German U with an umlaut, you’ll need help with this) and “ju” (pronounced “juh”) which is the more familiar form of “you.”
The problem with Dutch pronunciation is the use of gutterals which do not come naturally to non-Germanic speakers. Conversely, people who grew up speaking Dutch will always have a problem pronouncing “th” as in “the” and “this.” It will always sound like “duh” and “dis.”
Have a great time and visit Scheveningen, where I was born. Then try to pronounce it.