dat/die

That/Those

Level 1

Dutch uses die and dat to point to things that are far away (distal demonstratives). The choice depends on the noun's gender and number.

How It Works

In Dutch, demonstrative pronouns change based on the noun they refer to. These words correspond to the English 'that' and 'those'.

1. Gender Rules
Just like definite articles, you must know if a noun is a 'de-word' or a 'het-word':

  • Die man (That man) — Man is a de-word.
  • Dat kind (That child) — Kind is a het-word.

2. The Plural Rule
Regardless of the original gender, all plural nouns use die. Even if the singular is a het-word, the plural will always take die.

  • Het boek → Dat boek (That book)
  • De boeken → Die boeken (Those books)

3. The 'Dat is...' Exception
When you are introducing something or identifying what something is, Dutch uses a fixed dat regardless of gender or number. This is common with the verb zijn:

  • Dat is een man. (That is a man.)
  • Dat zijn mijn boeken. (Those are my books.)

4. Usage as Pronouns
These words can stand alone to replace a noun. If someone asks 'Which one do you want?', you can simply point and say 'Die!' (That one!).

5. Stressed vs. Unstressed
In spoken Dutch, die and dat are usually stressed. If you don't want to emphasize the object, you should use object pronouns like hem, haar, or het. Note that while the article de cannot stand alone, het is both a definite article and a valid standalone pronoun meaning 'it'.

  • Ik zie die. (I see that one — stressed)
  • Ik zie het. (I see it — unstressed)
  • Ik zie hem. (I see him/it — unstressed object form)

Examples (5)

  1. Die vrouw daar werkt in de supermarkt.

    That woman over there works in the supermarket.

    Word by Word: That woman there works in the supermarket.

    'Vrouw' is a de-word, so we use 'die'.

  2. Dat huis op de hoek is erg oud.

    That house on the corner is very old.

    Word by Word: That house on the corner is very old.

    'Huis' is a het-word, so we use 'dat'.

  3. Die boeken zijn van mij.

    Those books are mine.

    Word by Word: Those books are of me.

    Even though 'boek' is a het-word, all plurals use 'die'.

  4. Wat is dat?

    What is that?

    Word by Word: What is that?

    'Dat' is used for unidentified things or abstract situations.

  5. Die komt morgen.

    He/she is coming tomorrow.

    Word by Word: That (one) comes tomorrow.

    In casual speech, 'die' is often used as a stressed pronoun for people instead of 'hij' or 'zij'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'die' for singular het-words.

    die meisje
    dat meisje

    Even though 'meisje' refers to a person, it is grammatically a het-word (because it is a diminutive), so it must use 'dat'.

  • Using 'dat' for plural het-words.

    dat huizen
    die huizen

    Learners often forget that the plural form always switches to 'die', regardless of the singular gender.

How It Connects

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dat/dieLevel 1That/Those

Learn This First

To use 'dat' and 'die' correctly, you must first understand the Dutch gender system (de/het). 'Die' is used for 'de-words' and all plural nouns, while 'dat' is used for 'het-words' in the singular.

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Words in This Pattern

diedie