Over at dutchgrammar.com, the latest two sections that I have studied include using passive voice and the imperative commands (geef me chocolade! nu!).
I just know the passive is going to be trouble in Dutch. Particularly because the Dutch use zijn (to be) for the construction of the perfect tenses – i.e.
My hair has been washed = Mijn haar is gewassen.
My hair had been washed = Mijn haar was gewassen.
So the perfect tense uses is/was… which is normally the present tense in English. Uh boy. I can just see me mixing that one up. But everything I learn just makes it easier to figure out things, so I am usually happy to find out some weird quirk like that.
On a random note, one Dutch sentence Marco gave me today had the word sowieso (regardless) in it. I forgot about that word, but I love how it sounds. so-we-so.
I think it is time for me to go crash… not enough sleep last night. Figures!
Life in the Hague 