een + Noun

Indefinite Article

Level 1

een + singular noun = a/an + noun. It never changes based on gender, but it does affect how adjectives are spelled.

How It Works

The word een is one of the most frequent words in Dutch. Here is what you need to know:

  • Invariable Form: Unlike English, which switches between 'a' and 'an' depending on the next sound, Dutch always uses een. For example: een man (a man) and een appel (an apple).
  • Pronunciation vs. Number: The article een is pronounced with a short 'schwa' sound [ən]. Do not confuse it with the number 'one', which is written as één and pronounced with a long 'e' sound [e:n].
  • No Plural Form: Dutch has no plural indefinite article. To say 'a dog', you use een hond, but to say 'dogs' (plural indefinite), you use the bare noun: honden. This is often called the zero article.
  • Adjective Impact: When een is used with a het-word, the following adjective does not get an -e ending. This is called the bare neuter adjective.
  • Negation: The standard way to say 'not a' is by using geen. While you might occasionally see 'niet een', this is usually reserved for specific emphasis to mean 'not even one'.
  • Professions: Dutch often drops the article when talking about jobs (e.g., Ik ben docent). However, if you add an adjective, the article must return: Ik ben een goede docent (I am a good teacher).

Examples (4)

  1. Ik zie een man op straat.

    I see a man on the street.

    Word by Word: I see a man on street.

    A standard use of 'een' with a common gender (de) noun.

  2. Dat is een groot probleem.

    That is a big problem.

    Word by Word: That is a big problem.

    Note that 'probleem' is a het-word. Because of 'een', the adjective 'groot' does not get an -e ending.

  3. Heb je een appel voor mij?

    Do you have an apple for me?

    Word by Word: Have you an apple for me?

    Unlike English, 'een' does not change to 'an' before a vowel.

  4. Hij is een goede arts.

    He is a good doctor.

    Word by Word: He is a good doctor.

    While Dutch usually drops the article for professions, 'een' is required if an adjective (goede) is included.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'een' with plural nouns.

    Ik heb een boeken.
    Ik heb boeken.

    Dutch does not have a plural indefinite article. To say 'some books' or 'books' in general, use no article at all.

  • Writing 'een' without accents when you mean the number one.

    Different MeaningIk wil een appel, niet twee.
    Ik wil één appel, niet twee.

    Both are accepted. The accents in 'één' show you mean the number, as in this contrast, and are useful when the meaning could be unclear. Without accents, the sentence is still fine.

  • Adding an -e to adjectives for neuter nouns after 'een'.

    een mooie huis
    een mooi huis

    For neuter (het) nouns, the adjective stays in its 'bare' form when preceded by 'een'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

een + NounLevel 1Indefinite Article

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

And 1 more in the full list.

Words in This Pattern