Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn to use Dutch definite articles 'de' and 'het' and the indefinite article 'een' with nouns like 'de tafel' (the table) and 'het huis' (the house). Master distinguishing between 'de-woorden' and 'het-woorden' for correct article use.
  1. The article comes before the noun.
  2. Articles can be definite (de, het) or indefinite (een).
 WoordsoortLidwoord
Enkelvoud (Singular)De-woorden

De

De tafel (The table)

Het-woorden

Het

Het huis (The house)

Meervoud (Plural)Alle woorden (All words)

De

De huizen (The houses)

Onbepaald (Indefinite)De-woorden

Een

Een tafel (A table)

Het-woorden

Een

Een huis (A house)

Exceptions!

  1. You use 'de' for people, animals, and most things, such as de jongen, de hond, de tafel.
  2. You use 'het' with diminutives and words starting with 'ge-', such as het huisje, het meisje, het geluid.
  3. Some words you just have to learn, such as 'het boek' and 'de zon'.

Exercise 1: Bepaalde en onbepaalde lidwoorden (de, het, een)

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

de, het, een

1.
Ik koop ... nieuwe fiets.
(I am buying a new bike.)
2.
Hij leest ... boek op de tafel.
(He reads the book on the table.)
3.
We zitten in ... tuin.
(We are sitting in the garden.)
4.
Jij koopt ... appel in de supermarkt.
(You buy an apple in the supermarket.)
5.
Ik bestel ... menu van de dag.
(I order the menu of the day.)
6.
Mijn vader heeft ... auto gewassen.
(My father has washed the car.)
7.
Wij drinken ... glas rode wijn.
(We are drinking a glass of red wine.)
8.
Zij heeft ... kleine huisje gekocht.
(She has bought the small house.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ik woon in ___ stad Amsterdam.

(I live in ___ city of Amsterdam.)

2. Hij heeft ___ huis in Rotterdam.

(He has ___ house in Rotterdam.)

3. Zij leest ___ boek over Nederland.

(She reads ___ book about the Netherlands.)

4. De man woont in ___ klein huisje.

(The man lives in ___ small house.)

5. Ik zie ___ jongen op straat.

(I see ___ boy on the street.)

6. We drinken koffie in ___ café.

(We drink coffee in ___ café.)

Definite and Indefinite Articles in Dutch: de, het, een

This lesson covers the basic use of Dutch articles, essential for forming correct noun phrases. You'll learn how to distinguish and correctly use the definite articles de and het, as well as the indefinite article een.

Overview of Articles and Word Types

In Dutch, nouns are classified into categories that determine their accompanying articles. These categories are:

  • De-words (common gender) for most singular nouns and all plural nouns.
  • Het-words (neuter gender) for singular neuter nouns.
  • Indefinite article een used for any singular noun when referring to something nonspecific.

Singular and Plural Forms

Singular: Use de with de-woorden and het with het-woorden.

Examples:

  • De tafel (the table) – a de-word.
  • Het huis (the house) – a het-word.

Plural: All plural nouns use de regardless of gender.

Example:

  • De huizen (the houses)

Indefinite Article een

The article een is used before singular nouns when talking about something unknown or random.

Examples:

  • Een tafel (a table)
  • Een huis (a house)

Key Usage Rules

  • The article always comes before the noun (e.g., de auto).
  • Use de for specific things that are known or identified, such as de jongen (the boy) or de hond (the dog).
  • Use het for diminutives (words ending with '-je') and nouns starting with ge-, such as het huisje (the little house), het meisje (the girl), and het geluid (the sound).
  • Some nouns need to be memorized with their articles, like het boek (the book) and de zon (the sun).

Comparison with English Articles

Unlike English, Dutch nouns have gender, influencing the choice of article (de or het). English uses the for all definite nouns regardless of gender and a/an as indefinite articles. Dutch also distinguishes gender-specific articles but shares the concept of definite and indefinite articles with English.

Useful Dutch phrases with translations:

  • de auto – the car
  • het meisje – the girl
  • een hond – a dog
  • de tafel – the table

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This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Kato De Paepe

Business and languages

KdG University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 04:24