The Dutch g is the consonant that most defines Dutch to foreign ears and most challenges English speakers. In standard northern Dutch, the g is a voiceless velar or uvular fricative — produced by raising the back of the tongue toward the soft palate (velum) and creating turbulent airflow without voicing. It sounds like the Scottish ch in loch, the Spanish j in joven, or the Hebrew chet. It is not the English g in good, nor a simple h.
How to produce it: start by gargling water — feel where the constriction happens at the back of your throat. Now do that without water and without voice — just the airflow and friction. That friction is your Dutch g. Practice with the words gaan (to go), goed (good), groot (big), grijs (grey), geweldig (amazing). All initial g sounds in these words should use this back-of-throat friction.
Regional variation: in southern Dutch (Brabant, Limburg) and Belgian Dutch, the g is often softer (voiced) — more like the French r or a gentle gargle. The northern hard g is the prestige variant taught in schools and used in broadcasting. For learners, the southern soft g is actually easier to produce. Start with whichever feels more natural, then refine. The most important thing is consistency — do not mix a random h with a proper g in your output.