Dutch in the Former Colonies: Aruba, Curaçao, Suriname and Beyond
During the 17th-century Golden Age, Dutch ships reached every continent — and the language went with them. Centuries later, Dutch is still spoken (in very different forms) from South America to the Caribbean to Southeast Asia. Here’s where the colonial legacy of Dutch lives on today, and where it has faded.
Suriname: Dutch in South America
Suriname, on the northern coast of South America, is the only country outside Europe where Dutch is the main official language — used in government, schools and media. Around 400,000 people speak it, often alongside Sranan Tongo (a local creole), Hindi, Javanese and other languages. Surinamese Dutch has its own accent and vocabulary, fully recognised by the Dutch Language Union.
The Caribbean kingdom islands
Six Caribbean islands remain part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Dutch is official on all of them:
- Aruba & Curaçao — Dutch is official, but daily life happens in Papiamento, a Portuguese/Spanish-based creole
- Sint Maarten — Dutch official alongside English (which dominates daily life)
- Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba — special municipalities of the Netherlands; Dutch is the language of administration and schooling
Indonesia: a fading echo
The Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia) was a Dutch colony for over 300 years. After independence in 1945, Indonesia replaced Dutch with Bahasa Indonesia. Today only some elderly people and legal historians use Dutch — but hundreds of Dutch loanwords survive in Indonesian (kantor from kantoor/office, handuk from handdoek/towel).
South Africa: from Dutch to Afrikaans
Dutch settlers arrived at the Cape in 1652. Over centuries, their Dutch evolved into a distinct language: Afrikaans, now spoken by ~7 million people in South Africa and Namibia. It simplified Dutch grammar dramatically but remains close enough that Dutch and Afrikaans speakers can largely read each other’s writing.
What this means for you
Learning Dutch connects you to a genuinely global community — not just 24 million Europeans, but communities across South America, the Caribbean and beyond. And the close link with Afrikaans means written South African media becomes surprisingly accessible too.
Learn the language that crossed oceans
Dutch Daily teaches Standard Dutch — your key to communities on three continents. Daily lessons, conversation practice, pronunciation training.
Start learning Dutch →Frequently asked questions
Is Dutch still spoken in Indonesia?
Only by some elderly people and in historical/legal contexts. Bahasa Indonesia replaced it after 1945, though many Dutch loanwords remain in the modern language.
Which former colony still uses Dutch the most?
Suriname — it’s the only country outside Europe where Dutch is the primary official and administrative language.
Is Afrikaans the same as Dutch?
No, it’s a separate language descended from 17th-century Dutch. The two are partially mutually intelligible, especially in written form.