Independent use of demonstrative pronouns

Which demonstrative pronoun do I choose?

In Dutch you choose demonstratives with two checks:

1. Distance: close to you / in your situation (this/these) vs further away / not in your situation (that/those).
2. Noun type: de-word vs het-word.

Step-by-step self-check (fast and reliable)

1. Find the noun. What word are you pointing to? (stoel, formulier, gebouw, appartement…)
2. Find the article. Is it de or het?
   • de stoel → deze/die
   • het formulier → dit/dat
3. Decide “close” or “further”.
   • Close: here, in my hand, in this room, in this document → deze/dit
   • Further: over there, in the shop window, not the one here → die/dat

Using these words without the noun (very common)

You can drop the noun if it’s clear what you mean.

• Ik neem deze. (I’ll take this one.)
• Welke vind je mooier: deze of die? (Which do you find nicer: this one or that one?)

Key point: deze/die replace a de-word; dit/dat replace a het-word.

After a preposition: “in dit / in deze”

After a preposition (in, op, bij, met, naar…) you can use a demonstrative on its own to refer back to a noun.

• In dit verblijf zitten leeuwen; in deze zitten tijgers. (deze = dit verblijf)
• Met die bedoel ik het document van vorige week. (die = het document? → then it should be dat; match the noun!)

Tip: If you are unsure, silently add the noun again: “in deze (…?)”. If the noun is a het-word, you need dit/dat.

Talking about plurals: what changes (and what doesn’t)

In Dutch, plural demonstratives are always:

• deze = these
• die = those

So you never use dit/dat with a plural noun.

• deze brochures (these brochures)
• die brochures (those brochures)
• dit brochures / dat brochures

“A few of these / some of those”: the most natural pattern

When you refer to a selection, Dutch often uses van + demonstrative:

• Neem een paar van deze en wat van die.
• Ik heb er twee van die gelezen. (I read two of those.)

Note: deze/die can stand alone because “brochures / reports / options” are clear from context.

Common pitfalls (quick fixes)

• Pitfall: choosing by English “this/that” only.

  Fix: also check de vs het.

• Pitfall: mixing singular and plural.

  Fix: plural → deze/die only.

• Pitfall: after a preposition, forgetting what the pronoun refers to.

  Fix: add the noun in your head: “in deze ruimte” vs “in dit gebouw”.

Mini checklist before you speak

• Distance: here = deze/dit, there = die/dat
• Article: de → deze/die, het → dit/dat
• Plural: always deze/die
• After prepositions: “in dit/in deze” can replace the noun if it’s clear