deen / déi / dat (That One)
That One: Deen, Déi and Dat
Deen, déi and dat point at something: dee Mann do (that man there), Ech huelen dat do. (I will take that one.)
How It Works
The forms
- masculine: deen (dee by the n-rule): dee Mann, deen Hond
- feminine: déi: déi Fra
- neuter: dat: dat Haus
- plural: déi: déi Leit
- dative: deem (masculine and neuter), där (feminine), deenen (plural): mat deem Mann do
Stressed articles
The plain articles are den and d': de Mann, d'Fra, d'Haus. To point at something, use the full form and stress it: DEE Mann do, DÉI Fra do.
With do and hei
Do after the noun means that … there, and hei means this … here: dee Mann do, dat hei. See hei/do. The longer forms deen heiten and dat doten are also used: deen heiten Text.
On its own
The same forms replace a noun: Ech huelen dat do, net dat hei. Dat do can also point at something without naming it: Dat do ass mäi Vëlo.
Not every déi or dat points
Before an adjective, déi and dat are simply the article the: déi jonk Fra (the young woman), see déi/dat before adjectives. The same words also start relative clauses, where the verb goes to the end.
Examples (6)
- Dee Mann do ass mäin Noper.
That man there is my neighbour.
Word by Word: That man there is my neighbour.
Deen loses its n before M. Mäin keeps its n before the N of Noper.
- Déi Fra do schafft hei.
That woman there works here.
Word by Word: That woman there works here.
Fra is feminine, so the pointing form is déi.
- Ech huelen dat do, net dat hei.
I will take that one, not this one.
Word by Word: I take that there, not that here.
Dat stands on its own. Do and hei show which one is meant.
- Kenns du déi Leit do?
Do you know those people there?
Word by Word: Know you those people there?
Plural nouns take déi.
- Mat deem Mann do hunn ech nach ni geschwat.
I have never spoken with that man there.
Word by Word: With that man there have I still never spoken.
Mat needs the dative, so deen becomes deem.
- Dat do ass mäi Vëlo.
That over there is my bike.
Word by Word: That there is my bike.
When it points at something without naming it, dat is used for any noun.
Common Mistakes
Keeping the n of deen before a consonant.
Deen Mann do ass mäin Noper.Dee Mann do ass mäin Noper.By the n-rule, deen becomes dee before M and most other consonants. It keeps the n before a vowel and before d, h, n, t and z: deen Hond.
Using the masculine form with a feminine noun.
Deen Auer do ass deier.Déi Auer do ass deier.Auer (watch) is feminine, so the pointing form is déi. Deen is only for masculine nouns.
Using the nominative form after a dative preposition.
Mat dee Mann do schwätzen ech net.Mat deem Mann do schwätzen ech net.Mat needs the dative. The masculine and neuter dative form is deem.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before That One: Deen, Déi and Dat, learn This: Dësen, Dës and Dëst.
Related Patterns
- hei / doHere and There: Hei and Do
Do and hei after the noun show whether you mean that one or this one.
Level 1 - denThe Masculine Article Den
Den is the plain article; deen is its stressed pointing form.
Level 1 - d'The Short Article D'
D' is the plain article for feminine, neuter and plural nouns; déi and dat are its full forms.
Level 1 - déi / dat Before AdjectivesThe Article Before an Adjective: Déi and Dat
Before an adjective, déi and dat are just the article the.
Level 2 - Relative deen / déi / datRelative Clauses with Deen, Déi and Dat
The same forms introduce relative clauses, with the verb at the end.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice deen / déi / dat (That One) in Bubblegum
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