Any/Whatever Items
Dutch uses the phrase dan ook combined with interrogative pronouns (like wie, wat, waar) to create 'Free Choice Items.' These indicate that the specific identity of a person, thing, or place does not matter—it applies to every possible option.
How It Works
Free Choice Items (FCIs) are used when you want to emphasize indiscriminacy or indifference. They are common in contexts involving permission, possibility, or general rules.
1. The W-Word or Determiner Requirement
To express the 'any/whatever' meaning, the phrase dan ook is paired with a question word (wie, wat, waar, hoe, etc.) or a determiner like welk(e). Without these, dan ook often functions as a logical connector meaning 'consequently' or 'therefore'.
Contrast: Wat er dan ook gebeurt... (Whatever happens...) vs. Hij was ziek en bleef dan ook thuis. (He was ill and consequently stayed home.)
2. Word Order and Splitting
In simple main clauses, the phrase usually stays together (e.g., Ik eet wat dan ook). However, in subordinate clauses, the phrase is frequently split. Other words, especially the subject or the particle er, often come between the question word and dan ook. When the FCI functions as the subject of the clause, the particle er is very often added (e.g., Wie er dan ook belt...).
3. Usage Contexts
These items are typically used in 'non-veridical' contexts. This means they appear in sentences that don't describe a specific, finished fact, but rather:
- Imperatives: Kies wat dan ook. (Choose whatever.)
- Modals: Je kunt gaan waar dan ook. (You can go anywhere/wherever.)
- Conditionals: Wie er dan ook belt, zeg dat ik weg ben. (Whoever calls, say I'm out.)
4. Distinction from 'Ook Maar'
Learners may encounter ook maar, but it is not a direct synonym. While dan ook expresses free choice, ook maar is primarily a negative polarity item used to mean 'even' or 'at all' in negative, skeptical, or minimal contexts (e.g., Zonder ook maar één woord te zeggen).
5. Fixed Idiom: Hoe dan ook
A very high-frequency expression is Hoe dan ook, which means 'anyway', 'in any case', or 'regardless'. It is often used as a transition word at the start of a sentence to return to a main point.
Examples (6)
- Je mag vragen wat dan ook.
You may ask anything whatsoever.
Word by Word: You may ask what then also.
Here, 'wat dan ook' functions as a standalone object meaning 'anything at all'.
- Wie er dan ook dit gedaan heeft, moet zich melden.
Whoever did this must report themselves.
Word by Word: Who there then also this done has, must himself report.
When 'wie dan ook' acts as the subject, the particle 'er' is typically added for naturalness.
- Waar hij dan ook heen gaat, ik volg hem.
Wherever he may go, I will follow him.
Word by Word: Where he then also to goes, I follow him.
Notice how 'waar' and 'dan ook' are split by the subject 'hij' in this dependent clause.
- Wanneer je dan ook komt, de deur is open.
Whenever you come, the door is open.
Word by Word: When you then also come, the door is open.
In a subordinate clause, the subject 'je' splits the free choice item 'wanneer dan ook'.
- Wat er dan ook gebeurt, we blijven vrienden.
Whatever happens, we remain friends.
Word by Word: What there then also happens, we remain friends.
The particle 'er' splits the phrase 'wat dan ook' in this common expression.
- Hoe dan ook, we moeten nu vertrekken.
Anyway, we have to leave now.
Word by Word: How then also, we must now leave.
'Hoe dan ook' is a fixed idiom meaning 'anyway' or 'in any case'. When it starts a sentence, it often triggers inversion or acts as a connector.
Common Mistakes
Using 'dan ook' for specific past events.
Ik heb gisteren wie dan ook gezien.Ik heb gisteren iemand gezien.Free Choice Items cannot be used for specific, factual events that already happened. Use 'iemand' (someone) instead.
Failing to split the phrase in a subclause.
Wat dan ook er gebeurt...Wat er dan ook gebeurt...In Dutch subclauses, elements like 'er' or the subject must move between the question word and 'dan ook'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Free choice items in Dutch are formed by taking an interrogative pronoun (like wie, wat, or waar) and adding the fixed phrase 'dan ook'. To understand this, you first need to be familiar with basic question words and the particle 'dan'.
- wieWho
The pattern uses interrogative pronouns like 'wie' (who) as the base for forming free choice items like 'wie dan ook' (whoever).
Level 1 - watWhat
The pattern uses interrogative pronouns like 'wat' (what) as the base for forming free choice items like 'wat dan ook' (whatever).
Level 1 - nu/danNow/Then
The word 'dan' is a core component of the 'dan ook' construction used to express 'any' or 'whatever'.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Words Requiring Negation
Negative Polarity Items like 'ook maar' are often confused with 'dan ook', but are used specifically in negative contexts.
Level 5 - iets/nietsSomething/Nothing
These are basic indefinite pronouns; 'dan ook' items are more emphatic versions of these.
Level 2 - SOV in Subordinate Clauses
Understanding subclause word order is essential for correctly splitting 'dan ook' phrases.
Level 3 - wie (zonder antecedent)Whoever
This pattern also deals with 'whoever' constructions, often overlapping with 'wie dan ook'.
Level 4 - hoe ... ookHoe ... Ook (However)
A very similar construction used specifically with adjectives to mean 'no matter how...'.
Level 5
Words in This Pattern
Practice Any/Whatever Items in Bubblegum
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