Dutch articles (de, het, een)
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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)
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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!
Exercises
Exercise Dutch articles 1
Fill in the missing definite articles. ('de' or 'het')
groepje werkt samen. (The small group works together.)
boef is opgepakt door politie. (The thief is arrested by the police.)
zus van mijn moeder is zwanger. (My mother's sister is pregnant.)
museum sluit om 18 uur. (The museum closes at 18:00.)
zangeres heeft een nieuw nummer uitgebracht. (The female singer released a new single.)
Er is een ongeluk gebeurd in verkeer. (An accident happened during traffic.)
mooie is dat ik naar huis mag om 16 uur. (The nice thing is that I can go home at 16:00.)
resultaat heeft geen effect gehad op patiënt. (The result did not have any effect on the patient.)
zon schijnt dus weer is goed. (The sun is shining so the weather is good.)
leraar gaf kinderen hun huiswerk terug. (The teacher gave the children their homework back.)
Exercise Dutch articles 2
Fill in the missing definite articles. ('de' or 'het')
advocaat ging naar tandarts. (The lawyer went to the dentist.)
leerling gaf een presentatie. (The student gave a presentation.)
begin van film was emotioneel. (The beginning of the movie was emotional.)
directeur van school liep boos weg. (The headmaster of the school walked away angrily.)
nieuwe liedje van zanger is leuk. (The singer's new song is nice.)
stomme is dat ik vaak naar tandarts moet. (The stupid thing is that I often have to go to the dentist.)
man keek naar dansende kinderen. (The man watched the dancing children.)
motor van auto's deed het niet. (The cars' engine did not work.)
tovenaar op televisie maakte jongetje bang. (The wizard on television scared the little boy.)
hebben van een broer betekent veel bewegen. (Having a brother means a lot of exercise.)
Exercises
Exercise Dutch articles 1
Fill in the missing definite articles. ('de' or 'het')
groepje werkt samen. (The small group works together.)
boef is opgepakt door politie. (The thief is arrested by the police.)
zus van mijn moeder is zwanger. (My mother's sister is pregnant.)
museum sluit om 18 uur. (The museum closes at 18:00.)
zangeres heeft een nieuw nummer uitgebracht. (The female singer released a new single.)
Er is een ongeluk gebeurd in verkeer. (An accident happened during traffic.)
mooie is dat ik naar huis mag om 16 uur. (The nice thing is that I can go home at 16:00.)
resultaat heeft geen effect gehad op patiënt. (The result did not have any effect on the patient.)
zon schijnt dus weer is goed. (The sun is shining so the weather is good.)
leraar gaf kinderen hun huiswerk terug. (The teacher gave the children their homework back.)
Exercise Dutch articles 2
Fill in the missing definite articles. ('de' or 'het')
advocaat ging naar tandarts. (The lawyer went to the dentist.)
leerling gaf een presentatie. (The student gave a presentation.)
begin van film was emotioneel. (The beginning of the movie was emotional.)
directeur van school liep boos weg. (The headmaster of the school walked away angrily.)
nieuwe liedje van zanger is leuk. (The singer's new song is nice.)
stomme is dat ik vaak naar tandarts moet. (The stupid thing is that I often have to go to the dentist.)
man keek naar dansende kinderen. (The man watched the dancing children.)
motor van auto's deed het niet. (The cars' engine did not work.)
tovenaar op televisie maakte jongetje bang. (The wizard on television scared the little boy.)
hebben van een broer betekent veel bewegen. (Having a brother means a lot of exercise.)
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My lessons are student-centred and usually take place on Skype. I treat every student as an individual and tailor my lessons to meet their goals. I use a variety of text books and free online resources including exercises, articles and videos. I usually give out a little homework at the end of each lesson to reinforce what we have done together.
In your first lesson, we will discuss your needs and check your current level. From this, we can decide what sort of lessons will suit you the best. Perhaps you struggle with grammar and sentence structure? Perhaps you need to practice English for a specific purpose, like understanding lectures, making phone calls at work, or travelling? Or perhaps you need a structured course so that you can learn English step by step?
Whatever you need, I’m here to help. I see it as my job to make you feel safe, build your confidence and make your lessons enjoyable. I look forward to hearing from you and to helping you on your path to speaking better English. Book your first lesson now and let’s get started.
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I learn English with Corinne for a long time enough to credit her with the required qualities to be a good teacher. She is a brilliant listener. She can adapt her teaching style on the fly, depending on the student's needs. The learning materials are varied: news articles, grammar exercises, video, ... Finally, Corinne makes recommendations for books, movies, and series which are a good fit for my current level.
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Maybe you need to learn French or Romanian and the momentum is missing. Maybe you are an expert in another area, and you don’t feel to learn a foreign language. I understand it very well because I noticed it many times in my 6 years experience as a teacher and examiner. Though, allow me to communicate with you not as a teacher, but as a permanent and impassioned language learner. Allow me to transfer to you a part of my enthusiasm and my conviction that anyone can learn a foreign language in a funny way. Firstly, I promise you that a foreign language is an open door to another mentality, to another culture. I’m writing from my experience; I’m Romanian and I’m learning French since I was 8 years old. It’s not an easy language, especially at advanced levels, yet in my opinion, it’s the most elegant language. French transferred to me not only an elegant way to express myself - even in my mother tongue but also a different way of thinking; I read in French many classical French writers. During my master studies, I had also the chance to live among French students and I borrowed from them a great way to schedule a working day. I honestly think that learning French or Romanian could mean for you adding value to yourself.
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I am very happy to be able to take some Romanian lessons with Daniela. She has a lot of experience and is very focused, it helps me to understand the structure of the language and to remember the vocabulary more easily. Romanian is an interesting language, and I am looking forward to discovering the culture of the country.
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I look forward to meeting you online!
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E. C.
We focused a lot on pronunciation of words and Linda was very helpful, particularly on all those Dutch sounds so difficult for foreigners!
Linda R.
Hello, my name is Corinne and I am a qualified ESL English teacher from England. I have been teaching in classrooms and online for over 3 years and I have many satisfied students.
My lessons are student-centred and usually take place on Skype. I treat every student as an individual and tailor my lessons to meet their goals. I use a variety of text books and free online resources including exercises, articles and videos. I usually give out a little homework at the end of each lesson to reinforce what we have done together.
In your first lesson, we will discuss your needs and check your current level. From this, we can decide what sort of lessons will suit you the best. Perhaps you struggle with grammar and sentence structure? Perhaps you need to practice English for a specific purpose, like understanding lectures, making phone calls at work, or travelling? Or perhaps you need a structured course so that you can learn English step by step?
Whatever you need, I’m here to help. I see it as my job to make you feel safe, build your confidence and make your lessons enjoyable. I look forward to hearing from you and to helping you on your path to speaking better English. Book your first lesson now and let’s get started.
P. S.
I learn English with Corinne for a long time enough to credit her with the required qualities to be a good teacher. She is a brilliant listener. She can adapt her teaching style on the fly, depending on the student's needs. The learning materials are varied: news articles, grammar exercises, video, ... Finally, Corinne makes recommendations for books, movies, and series which are a good fit for my current level.
Corinne P.
Maybe you need to learn French or Romanian and the momentum is missing. Maybe you are an expert in another area, and you don’t feel to learn a foreign language. I understand it very well because I noticed it many times in my 6 years experience as a teacher and examiner. Though, allow me to communicate with you not as a teacher, but as a permanent and impassioned language learner. Allow me to transfer to you a part of my enthusiasm and my conviction that anyone can learn a foreign language in a funny way. Firstly, I promise you that a foreign language is an open door to another mentality, to another culture. I’m writing from my experience; I’m Romanian and I’m learning French since I was 8 years old. It’s not an easy language, especially at advanced levels, yet in my opinion, it’s the most elegant language. French transferred to me not only an elegant way to express myself - even in my mother tongue but also a different way of thinking; I read in French many classical French writers. During my master studies, I had also the chance to live among French students and I borrowed from them a great way to schedule a working day. I honestly think that learning French or Romanian could mean for you adding value to yourself.
P. D.
I am very happy to be able to take some Romanian lessons with Daniela. She has a lot of experience and is very focused, it helps me to understand the structure of the language and to remember the vocabulary more easily. Romanian is an interesting language, and I am looking forward to discovering the culture of the country.
Daniela C.
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!
Q. W.
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