dat (betrekkelijk)

Relative Pronoun (Het-words)

Level 3

In Dutch, relative pronouns depend on the gender of the noun they refer to. For singular het-words, we use dat to provide more information about that noun.

How It Works

Relative clauses add extra information to a sentence without starting a new one. When the noun you are describing (the antecedent) is a singular het-word, you must use dat.

1. Grammatical Gender is Key
Unlike English, which uses 'who' for people and 'which' for things, Dutch follows the gender of the noun.
Example: Het meisje dat daar loopt (The girl who is walking there). Even though a girl is a person, meisje is a neuter noun, so we use dat.

2. Singular vs. Plural
This pattern only applies to singular nouns. As soon as a het-word becomes plural, it becomes a de-word and must use die instead.
Example: Het boek dat... vs. De boeken die...

3. Word Order
A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause. This means the conjugated verb moves to the very end of the clause.

4. Prepositions
The relative pronoun dat is never used directly after a preposition. If you need a preposition for an object, use a pronominal adverb (e.g., waarin, waarmee). If you are referring to a person (even a neuter noun like het kind), you must use preposition + wie (e.g., het kind met wie ik speel). While you may hear pronominal adverbs used for people in colloquial speech, this is considered grammatically incorrect in standard Dutch.

5. When to use 'wat' instead
Be careful not to use dat in the following cases where wat is required:
• After indefinite pronouns like alles (everything), iets (something), niets (nothing), veel (much), weinig (little), or het enige (the only thing).
• After a superlative that is used as a noun (e.g., Het leukste wat ik heb gedaan). Note: If a neuter noun follows the superlative, you keep dat (e.g., Het leukste boek dat ik ken).
• When referring back to an entire sentence or idea rather than a single word (e.g., Hij is ziek, wat erg vervelend is).

Examples (4)

  1. Het boek dat op tafel ligt, is van mij.

    The book that is lying on the table is mine.

    Word by Word: The book that on table lies, is of me.

    'Het boek' is a neuter noun, so 'dat' is used. Notice the verb 'ligt' moves to the end of the relative clause.

  2. Ik heb het cadeau dat je me gaf al uitgepakt.

    I have already unwrapped the gift that you gave me.

    Word by Word: I have the gift that you me gave already unwrapped.

    Here, 'dat' functions as the direct object of the relative clause.

  3. Het meisje dat daar loopt, is mijn nichtje.

    The girl who is walking there is my niece.

    Word by Word: The girl that there walks, is my niece.

    Even though 'meisje' refers to a person, we use 'dat' because the noun itself is neuter (het-word).

  4. Het huis dat zij gekocht hebben, is erg groot.

    The house that they have bought is very large.

    Word by Word: The house that they bought have, is very large.

    The relative clause 'dat zij gekocht hebben' describes 'het huis'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'die' for people who are 'het-words'.

    Het kind die daar speelt.
    Het kind dat daar speelt.

    Learners often use 'die' for people (like English 'who'), but in Dutch, the grammatical gender of the noun (het kind) dictates the pronoun (dat).

  • Omitting the relative pronoun.

    Het boek ik lees is goed.
    Het boek dat ik lees is goed.

    In English, you can often drop 'that' (The book I read). In Dutch, the relative pronoun is mandatory.

  • Using 'dat' for plural nouns.

    De boeken dat ik heb.
    De boeken die ik heb.

    All plural nouns in Dutch use 'de' and therefore must use the relative pronoun 'die', even if the singular form was a 'het-word'.

How It Connects

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dat (betrekkelijk)Level 3Relative Pronoun (Het-words)

Learn This First

To use 'dat' as a relative pronoun, you must first understand the distinction between 'de' and 'het' nouns, as 'dat' only refers to 'het' nouns. Additionally, since a relative clause is a type of subordinate clause, you need to be familiar with the word order rules where verbs are placed at the end of the clause.

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