Pronomen demonstratief
Dutch has four demonstrative pronouns: dit, dat, deze, die. The form you use depends on the grammatical gender of the noun (het-word or de-word) and whether you mean this/these or that/those.
| het-word (neuter) | de-word / plural | English | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| this / these (near) | dit | deze | this / these | Dit bed is zacht. This bed is soft. |
| that / those (far) | dat | die | that / those | Dat huis is te klein. That house is too small. |
Practice: ___ bed is zacht. (this — het-word, near)
Dit — Bed is a het-word. For "this" + het-word → dit: Dit bed is zacht.
Practice: ___ kamer is groot. (this — de-word, near)
Deze — Kamer is a de-word. For "this" + de-word → deze: Deze kamer is groot.
Practice: ___ huis is mooi. (that — het-word, far)
Dat — Huis is a het-word. For "that" + het-word → dat: Dat huis is mooi.
Practice: ___ bank is comfortabel. (that — de-word, far)
Die — Bank is a de-word. For "that" + de-word → die: Die bank is comfortabel.
Use <strong>dit</strong> with a singular het-word and <strong>deze</strong> with a singular de-word or any plural noun when referring to something nearby.
Practice: ___ raam is kapot. (this — het-word)
Dit — Raam is a het-word → dit: Dit raam is kapot.
Practice: ___ gordijnen zijn te lang. (these — plural)
Deze — Plurals always use deze (near): Deze gordijnen zijn te lang.
Practice: ___ badkamer heeft een bad. (this — de-word)
Deze — Badkamer is a de-word → deze: Deze badkamer heeft een bad.
Use <strong>dat</strong> with a singular het-word and <strong>die</strong> with a singular de-word or any plural noun when pointing to something further away or previously referred to.
Practice: ___ plafond is hoog. (that — het-word)
Dat — Plafond is a het-word → dat: Dat plafond is hoog.
Practice: ___ deur is zwaar. (that — de-word)
Die — Deur is a de-word → die: Die deur is zwaar.
Practice: ___ kasten zijn oud. (those — plural)
Die — Plural nouns far away → die: Die kasten zijn oud.
If the noun takes <em>het</em> → use <strong>dit</strong> (near) or <strong>dat</strong> (far). If the noun takes <em>de</em> or is plural → use <strong>deze</strong> (near) or <strong>die</strong> (far).
Practice: Translate: "That bedroom is too small." (slaapkamer = de-word)
Die slaapkamer is te klein. — Slaapkamer is a de-word, far → die: Die slaapkamer is te klein.
Practice: Translate: "This kitchen is modern." (keuken = de-word)
Deze keuken is modern. — Keuken is a de-word, near → deze: Deze keuken is modern.
Practice Demonstrative Pronouns Quiz with dit/dat/deze/die cards
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