des/der
Archaic Genitive Articles
Dutch once had a full case system like German. While mostly gone, the genitive (possessive) articles des and der survive in fixed idioms, legal titles, and time expressions.
How It Works
In modern Dutch, possession is usually expressed using van. However, des and der represent the 'second case' (genitive) and are still found in specific registers.
1. Usage by Gender:
- Des: Used for masculine and neuter singular. It typically triggers a suffix on the noun: des konings (of the king) or des huizes (of the house).
- Der: Used for feminine singular (e.g., in naam der wet) and all plural nouns (e.g., der Nederlanden). It does not trigger a noun suffix.
2. Adjective Endings:
When an adjective follows these articles, it almost always takes an -en suffix, regardless of the noun's gender (e.g., des goeden huizes, der heiligen).
3. The Contraction 's:
The most common remnant is the contraction 's, which comes from des. This is standard in times of day like 's morgens. Note that 's nachts (at night) also uses this masculine contraction, even though nacht is a feminine noun, due to historical analogy.
4. Register and Modern Usage:
These forms are mostly fossilized but appear in:
- Legal and formal formulas (In naam der Koningin).
- Fixed literary idioms (De tand des tijds).
- Modern Predicative Use: You can use des + a noun or adjective to mean 'typical of' (e.g., Dat is des duivels - That is diabolical; Dat is des Nederlands - That is typical of the Dutch).
You may also encounter ten and ter (remnants of the dative case) in phrases like ten tijde van or ter plaatse, which function similarly as fixed case remnants.
Examples (6)
- In naam der wet, doe open!
In the name of the law, open up!
Word by Word: In name of-the law, do open!
'Der' is used here because 'wet' (law) is a feminine noun.
- Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Word by Word: The Kingdom of-the Netherlands.
'Der' is used here because 'Nederlanden' is plural.
- Hij heeft de tand des tijds goed doorstaan.
It has withstood the ravages of time well.
Word by Word: He has the tooth of-the time well withstood.
A fixed idiom where 'des' is used with the masculine noun 'tijd', which gains an -s suffix.
- 's Avonds gaan we vaak wandelen.
In the evening we often go for a walk.
Word by Word: Of-the evening go we often walk.
's is the shortened form of 'des'. Note that the following noun is capitalized if it starts the sentence.
- Dat is echt des Nederlands.
That is truly typical of the Dutch.
Word by Word: That is really of-the Dutch.
A modern usage where 'des' + noun/adjective means 'typical of'.
- Ik kan 's nachts niet slapen.
I cannot sleep at night.
Word by Word: I can of-the night not sleep.
Although 'nacht' is feminine, it uses the masculine contraction 's by analogy in this fixed time expression.
Common Mistakes
Using des/der productively for modern objects.
De kleur des computers is zwart.De kleur van de computer is zwart.Des and der are fossilized. For everyday objects, always use 'van' + the standard article.
Incorrectly placing the apostrophe in time expressions.
s' Morgens drink ik koffie.'s Morgens drink ik koffie.The apostrophe replaces the 'de' in 'des', so it must come before the 's'.
Confusing the archaic 'der' with the colloquial 'd'r'.
Ik zie der lopen.Ik zie d'r lopen.D'r is an informal contraction of 'haar' (her) or 'er' (there). 'Der' is strictly a formal genitive article.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The 'des/der' pattern represents the archaic genitive case in Dutch. To understand it, a learner must first be familiar with the modern article system (de/het), noun genders, and how possession is typically expressed in modern Dutch using 'van'. This pattern is primarily found in formal, legal, or religious contexts.
- vanOf/From
The archaic genitive 'des/der' functions as a possessive marker, which in modern Dutch is almost exclusively expressed using the preposition 'van'.
Level 1 - De-Words and Het-Words
The choice between 'des' (masculine/neuter) and 'der' (feminine/plural) requires knowledge of the underlying gender and number of the noun.
Foundations
Related Patterns
- Case Endings in Fixed Phrases
Des and der are the most prominent examples of case remnants still found in the Dutch language.
Level 6 - van + PossessorPossession with Van
This is the modern way to express possession, which has almost entirely replaced the genitive des/der.
Level 1 - 's ochtends/'s avondsTimes of Day
These common time expressions are the most frequent everyday use of the contracted genitive 'des'.
Level 2 - -s (bezit)Possession with -s
The -s suffix used with names (e.g., Jans boek) is a related survival of the old genitive case.
Level 1 - des teThe (With Comparative)
A fixed comparative construction that also utilizes the archaic genitive form 'des'.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice des/der in Bubblegum
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