-ën

Plural with -ën

Level 2

In plurals such as ideeën and knieën, the trema shows that the e starts another syllable. First learn whether the noun takes an -en or -s plural; stress alone does not choose the plural ending.

How It Works

This spelling rule applies to nouns ending in -ee or -ie. The spelling depends on where the stress (the emphasis) of the word lies.

1. Stressed -ee
Most words ending in a stressed -ee add -en. To keep the syllables separate, we place a trema on the first 'e' of the suffix, resulting in -eeën.

zee (sea) becomes zeeën
idee (idea) becomes ideeën

2. Exceptions for Stressed -ee (French Loanwords)
Several common words borrowed from French, including the following, take an -s plural as their established plural ending. Other words may have different endings; learn the plural with the noun.

abonnee (subscriber) becomes abonnees
logee (guest) becomes logees
portemonnee (wallet) becomes portemonnees

3. More -ee Words with -s
Some other words in -ee, mostly loans such as the next one, take an -s plural.

dominee (minister) becomes dominees

4. Stressed -ie
When a noun takes an -en plural and the stress is on the final -ie, we add -en and place a trema on the 'e'. This results in -ieën.

knie (knee) becomes knieën
kopie (copy) becomes kopieën

5. Unstressed -ie
If the stress is not on the -ie, the plural form is word-specific. You must learn which ending the specific word uses:

Words taking -n: Add an -n and place the trema on the existing 'e' (-iën). Example: bacteriën (bacteria), oliën (oils).
Words taking -s: Many common words normally use an -s plural. Example: provincies (provinces), families (families).

Some words allow more than one plural or retain a less usual form in fixed names. The trema rule tells you how to spell an -en plural; it does not rule out every alternative plural.

Examples (6)

Ik heb twee goede ideeën voor het project.
I have two good ideas for the project.
Word by Word: I have two good ideas for the project.
The word 'idee' ends in a stressed -ee, so the plural adds -en with a trema, resulting in -eeën.
Mijn knieën doen pijn na het hardlopen.
My knees hurt after running.
Word by Word: My knees do pain after the hard-running.
'Knie' ends in a stressed -ie, so we add -en and a trema to keep the syllables distinct.
De dominees praten met de mensen.
The ministers are talking with the people.
Word by Word: The ministers talk with the people.
Words ending in an unstressed -ee, like 'dominee', always take an -s plural.
Er zijn veel bacteriën in de keuken.
There are many bacteria in the kitchen.
Word by Word: There are many bacteria in the kitchen.
For 'bacterie', the stress is not on the -ie, and the standard plural form is -n with a trema on the existing 'e'.
Nederland heeft twaalf provincies.
The Netherlands has twelve provinces.
Word by Word: Netherlands has twelve provinces.
For 'provincie' (unstressed -ie), the standard plural form is -s.
Alle abonnees krijgen een tijdschrift.
All subscribers receive a magazine.
Word by Word: All subscribers get a magazine.
Abonnee takes the established -s plural abonnees; it does not follow the -eeën pattern of idee.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the trema (dots) on the 'e'.
Ik heb veel ideeen.
Ik heb veel ideeën.
Without the trema, 'eeen' looks like a triple 'e' which doesn't exist in Dutch spelling. The dots are required to show where the new syllable begins.
Adding an extra 'e' to words with an unstressed -ie ending.
De bacteriëen zijn klein.
De bacteriën zijn klein.
If the stress is not on the final -ie and the word takes an -n plural, you only add an -n and put the trema on the existing 'e'. You do not add an extra 'e' before the 'n'.
Using -eeën for French loanwords ending in stressed -ee.
De logeeën slapen hier.
De logees slapen hier.
The ordinary plural of logee is logees, as abonnee has abonnees. This is a lexical choice of plural ending, not a universal rule for every French loanword.

How It Connects

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

-ënLevel 2Plural with -ën

Learn This First

To understand the -ën plural, you first need to be familiar with the standard -en plural ending. Additionally, because this pattern involves specific spelling changes (the use of a trema to separate vowels), you must understand Dutch spelling rules and how syllables are structured to ensure the vowels are pronounced correctly.

Words in This Pattern

-en

Sources

Practice -ën in Bubblegum

Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Dutch lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.