die

Relative Pronoun (De-words)

Level 3

The relative pronoun die is used to provide more information about a noun that is either a de-word or any plural noun. It translates to 'who', 'that', or 'which' in English.

How It Works

Relative clauses add extra detail to a sentence without starting a new one. When using die, keep these rules in mind:

1. Gender Match: Use die for singular nouns that take the article de (e.g., de man, de auto). If the noun is a singular het-word, you must use dat instead.
2. Plural Rule: Use die for all plural nouns, even if the singular form was a het-word (e.g., de boeken die...).
3. Punctuation: Dutch uses commas to separate relative clauses. If the clause is embedded within a main sentence, it is usually closed with a comma (e.g., De man die daar loopt, is mijn vader). While restrictive clauses often omit the opening comma, non-restrictive clauses normally take commas on both sides.
4. Prepositions: If you use a preposition with a person, use wie (e.g., de man met wie...). For non-human objects, you must use a pronominal adverb (waar + preposition). In informal speech, these are often split (e.g., het mes waar ik mee snijd). Note that met becomes mee and tot becomes toe.
5. Indefinite Antecedents: If the relative pronoun refers to an indefinite word like alles, iets, or a neuter superlative (het mooiste), you normally use wat instead of die or dat.
6. Word Order: A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause. The conjugated verb (or the entire verb cluster) must move to the end of the clause.

Examples (4)

  1. De vrouw die daar loopt, is mijn lerares.

    The woman who is walking there is my teacher.

    Word by Word: The woman who there walks, is my teacher.

    'De vrouw' is a de-word, so we use 'die'. Notice the verb 'loopt' moves to the end of the relative clause.

  2. Ik heb de boeken die je zocht gevonden.

    I found the books that you were looking for.

    Word by Word: I have the books that you sought found.

    Even though 'boek' is a het-word, all plurals ('de boeken') use 'die'.

  3. De auto die hij gisteren kocht, is al kapot.

    The car that he bought yesterday is already broken.

    Word by Word: The car that he yesterday bought, is already broken.

    'De auto' is a de-word. The verb 'kocht' (bought) is placed at the end of the relative clause.

  4. De mensen die hier wonen, zijn erg aardig.

    The people who live here are very nice.

    Word by Word: The people who here live, are very nice.

    'Mensen' is plural, so 'die' is used to refer to them.

Common Mistakes

  • Dropping the relative pronoun (like in English).

    De man ik zag is mijn oom.
    De man die ik zag, is mijn oom.

    In English, you can say 'The man I saw'. In Dutch, you MUST include the relative pronoun 'die'.

  • Using 'wie' as a subject for people.

    De man wie daar staat...
    De man die daar staat...

    Learners often use 'wie' because of English 'who'. In Dutch, 'die' is the correct subject pronoun for people. 'Wie' is only used after prepositions.

  • Using a preposition directly before 'die' for objects.

    De stoel op die ik zit...
    De stoel waarop ik zit...

    Unlike English 'the chair on which', Dutch cannot use a preposition + 'die' for things. You must use a pronominal adverb like 'waar' + preposition.

How It Connects

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dieLevel 3Relative Pronoun (De-words)

Learn This First

To use 'die' as a relative pronoun, you must first understand the Dutch gender system (de vs. het) to know which nouns it refers to. Additionally, because relative clauses are subordinate clauses, you must be familiar with the SOV (verb-final) word order used in these structures.

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die