Here's why:
* Common ancestry: Both languages belong to the West Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family.
* Shared vocabulary: Many words are cognates (words with the same origin) and are easily recognizable, especially in written form.
* Similar grammar: They share similarities in grammar, including word order and the use of articles.
While Dutch is the closest, other West Germanic languages like English, Frisian, and Yiddish also share some similarities with German.
It's important to note that while these languages are related, there are still significant differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar that make them distinct languages.