Free Dutch grammar trainer
De of het? Train the Dutch articles
Dutch has two definite articles and no reliable rule for most words, so it comes down to exposure and repetition. Tap de or het for each noun, get instant feedback and the rule behind it where there is one, build a streak, and practise your mistakes until they stick. Ten minutes a day makes a visible difference in writing and speaking.
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Keyboard: D for de, H for het. Your best streak and mistakes are saved in this browser.
The de and het rules that help
Diminutives (-je, -tje, -pje) are always het
het meisje, het kopje, het boompje
Words ending in -ing, -heid, -teit, -ie, -schap (mostly), -tie are de
de vergadering, de vrijheid, de universiteit, de politie
People and professions are almost always de
de leraar, de dokter, de collega, de bakker
Fruit, trees, flowers, rivers and mountains are de
de appel, de boom, de roos, de Rijn
Words ending in -um, -eem, -ment, -isme are het
het museum, het systeem, het document, het toerisme
Languages, sports, metals and compass directions are het
het Nederlands, het voetbal, het goud, het noorden
Infinitives used as nouns are het
het eten, het leven, het zwemmen
Many words starting with ge-, be-, ver-, ont- (two syllables) are het
het gebouw, het besluit, het verschil, het ontbijt
Plurals always take de
de huizen, de kinderen, de boeken
Roughly 75% of Dutch nouns are de: when in doubt, guess de
…but learn the het-words you meet, there are about 25%
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Frequently asked questions
Why is de or het so hard?
Dutch merged its masculine and feminine genders into de, leaving het for neuter nouns. About three quarters of nouns take de, but the het words are common ones, and there is no sound rule that covers them all. The rules below cover the patterns that do exist.
Which rules are worth learning?
Diminutives ending in -je are always het. Words ending in -ing, -heid, -teit and -ie are de. People and professions are de. Words ending in -um, -eem and -ment, languages, sports and metals are het. Plurals are always de.
Is this useful for the inburgering or NT2 exam?
Yes. Article mistakes are among the most common errors in the writing and speaking parts. Practise here, then use the flashcards and the KNM practice quiz for the other parts.
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