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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn when to add the suffix -e to Dutch adjectives, with examples like 'de grote hond' and 'een dik boek.' Master adjectives before nouns, possessives, and pronouns such as deze, dit, and dat.
  1. Adjectives often appear before the noun.
  2. The adjective usually gets an -e.
Woordeinde (Word ending)  Voorbeeld (Example)
+eEnkelvoud (Singular)de
het		de grote hond (the big dog)
het dikke boek (the thick book)
Meervoud (Plural)dede mooie huizen (the beautiful houses)
Met 'een'de-woordeneen grote hond (a big dog)
 deze, dit, die, dat + bijvoeglijk naamwoorddeze grote auto (this large car)
dit schattige kind (this cute child)
dat leuke boek (that nice book)
 bezittelijk voornaamwoord + bijvoeglijk naamwoordmijn nieuwe auto (my new car)
jouw oude huis (your old house)
onze mooie auto (our beautiful car)
-Met 'een'het-woordeneen dik boek (a thick book)
 Zijn + wordenHij wordt groot. (He is growing up.)
Ik ben erg ziek. (I am very ill.)
 Een zelfstandig bijvoeglijk naamwoord na "wat"Wat lief van je! (How sweet of you!)
Wat goed! (How good!)

Exercise 1: Bijvoeglijk naamwoord met of zonder -e

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

duurzaam, grote, elektrische, aardig, lange, mooi, gevaarlijke, favoriete

1. Gevaarlijk:
Die ... fietser had bijna een ongeval veroorzaakt.
(The dangerous cyclist had nearly caused an accident.)
2. Favoriet:
Onze ... treinrit is door de bergen.
(Our favourite train ride is through the mountains.)
3. Mooi:
Dat is een ... voorbeeld van duurzaam vervoer.
(That is a good example of sustainable transport.)
4. Elektrisch:
Mijn ... auto rijdt heel stil.
(My electric car drives very quietly.)
5. Groot:
We hebben dat ... huis gekocht in de stad.
(We bought that big house in the city.)
6. Duurzaam:
Het is een ... idee om met de fiets te gaan.
(It is a sustainable idea to go by bike.)
7. Aardig:
Wat ... van je om mee te fietsen!
(How kind of you to cycle along!)
8. Lang:
Die ... rit was echt vermoeiend.
(The long ride was really tiring.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct sentence with the proper use of the adjective with or without -e, fitting the context of daily transport.

1.
After 'een' the adjective before a de-word must also get an -e: 'snelle', not 'snel'.
With a de-word the adjective must get an -e: 'snelle' instead of 'snel'.
2.
Without an article the adjective before a de-word must also get an -e, but here the article is missing, making the sentence incomplete.
After 'een' with a de-word the adjective must get an -e: 'nieuwe', not 'nieuw'.
3.
'Weg' is a de-word; therefore 'dit' (for het-words) is wrong in this context.
After 'deze' the adjective must get an -e: 'brede'.
4.
'Boek' is a het-word and uses the article 'het', not 'de'; moreover, the adjective with 'de' gets an -e, but here the article is incorrect.
With the het-word 'boek' and 'een' the adjective should be without -e: 'dik', not 'dikke'.

Adjective Endings in Dutch: When to Use the -e

This lesson explores the correct use of adjectives with or without the ending -e in Dutch, focusing on how they agree with the noun they describe.

Understanding the Basics

In Dutch, adjectives usually come before nouns. They often take an -e ending, but there are important exceptions depending on the noun’s gender, number, and the article or determiner used.

When to Use the -e Ending

  • Singular nouns with definite articles: Both de and het nouns take the -e ending, like de grote hond (the big dog) and het dikke boek (the thick book).
  • Plural nouns: All plural nouns take the -e ending regardless of the article, for example, de mooie huizen (the beautiful houses).
  • With the indefinite article 'een' and de-words: The adjective takes the -e ending, e.g., een grote hond (a big dog).
  • With demonstrative pronouns and possessives: Adjectives following words like deze, dit, die, dat, or possessives like mijn, jouw, onze get the -e ending as well, e.g., deze grote auto (this big car), mijn nieuwe auto (my new car).

When Adjectives Do Not Take the -e Ending

  • With indefinite article 'een' and het-words: The adjective remains in its base form without -e, like een dik boek (a thick book).
  • After the verbs 'zijn' (to be) and 'worden' (to become): Adjectives don’t get the -e ending, for example, Hij wordt groot. (He becomes big), Ik ben erg ziek. (I am very sick).
  • As a standalone adjective after 'wat': When used independently, adjectives do not take -e, such as Wat lief van je! (How sweet of you!).

Practical Examples

  • de grote hond – the big dog
  • het dikke boek – the thick book
  • de mooie huizen – the beautiful houses
  • een grote hond – a big dog
  • een dik boek – a thick book
  • mijn nieuwe auto – my new car
  • Hij wordt groot. – He becomes big.

Key Points to Remember

  • The -e ending mainly depends on the gender and number of the noun and the type of article or determiner before the adjective.
  • De-words almost always require the -e ending when used with an adjective before the noun.
  • Het-words generally do not require the -e ending after the indefinite article.
  • Verbs like 'zijn' and 'worden' and standalone expressions with 'wat' use the base adjective form without -e.

Language Notes: Differences Between English and Dutch

Unlike English, where adjectives do not change form, Dutch adjectives adapt based on the noun’s gender, number, and article. This is essential to form grammatically correct sentences and to sound natural in conversation.

For example, English speakers say “the big dog” and “a big dog” without changing big. In Dutch, however, it changes:

  • de grote hond (the big dog) – adjective with -e
  • een grote hond (a big dog) – adjective with -e
  • een dik boek (a thick book) – adjective without -e

Useful words and phrases to practice include:

  • De-words: hond (dog), auto (car), weg (road)
  • Het-words: boek (book), kind (child), huis (house)
  • Common adjectives: groot (big), mooi (beautiful), dik (thick), nieuw (new), oud (old)
  • Determiners: de, het, een, deze, dit, die, dat, mijn, jouw, onze

Familiarity with these concepts will help learners form natural and correct sentences, especially in everyday contexts such as describing objects, people, and situations.

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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 16:14