Language/Dutch/Grammar/Gender-and-Articles

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Dutch Grammar → Nouns and Articles → Gender and Articles

As a Dutch language teacher with 20 years of experience, I know that learning the gender of Dutch nouns and how to use definite and indefinite articles is crucial for any beginner who wants to master the language. In this lesson, I will guide you through the basics of gender and articles in Dutch, and provide you with cultural information and interesting facts to help you better understand the language.

After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: How to use “there to be” in Dutch & Plural.

Gender in Dutch Nouns

Unlike English, Dutch has three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. However, determining the gender of a noun can be tricky for non-native speakers as there are no strict rules to follow. In general, the gender of a noun can be deduced from the ending letter(s).

Let's take a look at some examples:

Dutch	Pronunciation	English
de man	/də 'mɑn/	the man (masculine)
de vrouw	/də 'vrɑu/	the woman (feminine)
het kind	/hət 'kɪnd/	the child (neuter)
de koe	/də 'ku/	the cow (feminine)
het paard	/hət 'paːrt/	the horse (neuter)

As you can see, the definite article "de" is used for masculine and feminine nouns, while "het" is used for neuter nouns. Indefinite articles also match the gender of the noun.

In some cases, the gender of a noun is not evident from its ending, and memorization is required. For example, "hoofd" (head) is a neuter noun, while "meid" (girl) is a feminine noun.

Definite and Indefinite Articles

In Dutch, there are two types of articles: definite and indefinite. As their names suggest, definite articles refer to something specific, while indefinite articles refer to something unspecific or unknown.

Definite Articles

The definite articles in Dutch are "de" for masculine and feminine nouns, and "het" for neuter nouns. The plural definite article is always "de".

Examples:

de man – the man
de vrouw – the woman
het kind – the child
de mannen – the men
de vrouwen – the women
de kinderen – the children

Indefinite Articles

The indefinite articles in Dutch are "een" for masculine and feminine nouns, and "een" or "een beetje" for neuter nouns. "Een" means "a/an" in English.

Examples:

een man – a man
een vrouw – a woman
een kind – a child
een paard – a horse
een beetje water – a little water

Note that the indefinite article for neuter nouns can also be "een beetje", which means "a little". This is used to indicate a small amount of something.

Practice Exercise

Determine the gender of the following nouns, and use the appropriate article:

de auto (the car)
het huis (the house)
een boek (a book)
de hond (the dog)
een fiets (a bicycle)

Conclusion

In this lesson, you have learned the gender of Dutch nouns and how to use definite and indefinite articles. Remember that practice is key to mastering any language, so make sure to apply what you have learned by using these concepts in your everyday language learning. Next up in the course is "Plural and Diminutives". Stay tuned!

Sources

Impressive work on finishing this lesson! Explore these additional pages to enhance your understanding: Ordinal Numbers in Dutch & Inclusive Case in Dutch.

Table of Contents - Dutch Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Alphabet and Pronunciation

Nouns and Articles

Verbs and Conjugation

Adjectives and Adverbs

Prepositions and Pronouns

Family

Food and Drinks

Travel

Work and Jobs

The Netherlands

Dutch Customs

Other Lessons

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