Dutch articles (de, het, een)
Exercises
- Exercise Dutch articles 1 Score -/-
- Exercise Dutch articles 2 Score -/-
Lesson Outline
HideDefinition and usage of the Dutch articles
The Dutch language has three different articles:
- 'de' (the)
- 'het' (the)
- 'een' (a/an).
The articles are used with a noun. Words as adjectives and numerals are placed between the article and the noun. A noun can be combined with an indefinite article ('een') or with a definite article ('de' / 'het').
Indefinite articles are used when people talk about something in general or when people think others might not know what they are talking about.
Examples:
- Een hond (a dog)
- Een glas (a glass)
Definite articles are used when people are sure that others know what they are talking about. There are no rules to determine if a word gets 'de' or 'het'.
Examples:
- Het kind (the child)
- Het bureau (the desk)
When to use 'de' and when to use 'het'?
As explained in the chapter of Gender of Dutch nouns, the article 'de' can be used for female and male nouns. Therefore, the article does not change when the noun changes gender and it is not important to know what gender the noun is. The article 'het' is used for neutral nouns. You can find the gender of the nouns in the dictionary. As a result, there are no exact rules to tell you when to use 'het' or 'de', below you will find some guidelines.
When to use 'het?'
Below you will find some guidelines to remember when to use 'het':
| When? | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| All diminutives |
|
|
| The infinitives used as a noun |
|
|
| All nouns ending in '-aat' (that do not refer to a person), '-um', '-isme' |
|
|
| Most nouns that begin with the prefix 'be-', 'ver-', 'ge-', but do not end in '-ing' |
|
|
| All nouns that say 'the good thing is ...', 'the bad thing is ...' |
|
|
When to use 'de'?
There are a few tips for the 'de-nouns' to be able to remember when to use them:
| When? | Examples | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| All plural nouns |
|
|
| Obvious feminine or masculine nouns |
|
|
| Nouns that end in '-ing' |
|
|
| Nouns that end in '-tie', '-thie', '-sie' |
|
|
| Nouns that end in '-or' |
|
|
| Persons (except het kind) |
|
|
| Nouns that end in '-aar' |
|
|
| Nouns that end in '-eur' |
|
|
| Words ending in '-er' |
|
|
| Nouns that are obviously female |
|
|
Train your skills by doing the exercises below!
Practise with a private teacher on Skype!
- Private Skype lessons
- Learn any topic
- Flexible appointments
Dutch language lessons from beginner to advanced
I teach: Dutch
Hi! I live in Germany since 2014, I live in the Frankfurt am Main area. I teach German to refugees since the beginning of 2017 and I have been... teaching Dutch at several language schools, at peoples homes and in-house at several companies. I passed the C1-level Test for German at the Goethe Institut. It is my goal to adapt my lessons as much as possible to the wishes of the student. This means that, besides offering regular learning methods, I am open to initiatives like talking about subjects that are of interest to the student, for example reading and discussing articles, watching and discussing educational videos and/or current happenings in the world. I look forward to meeting you online! Read more
Dutch and Spanish teacher.
I teach: Dutch, Spanish
Hi, I'm Adriaan. I have been teaching for seven years Dutch and Spanish to students of all levels, from absolute beginners to students who... only need conversation. My students are of all ages, from 9 to 76 years old and from all continents. With each student I create a Google doc in which I put all the grammatical information, exercises and homework after each class. I can help you if you want to learn the language for fun, for work, or to prepare for an exam. Languages are my passion! See you soon! Read more
English lessons all levels
I teach: Dutch, English, French, German
Hello,I would love to help you improve your knowledge of English.I adapt the lessons following your wishes : are you a beginner and need to get... some basic knowledge with grammar and easy texts or do you want to improve your conversation skills. I can help you either way.Looking forward to meeting you ! Read more
