Linking letters in Dutch compounds: -en-, -s-, -er-

When Dutch glues two words into one compound noun, it often puts a small linking letter between the parts, called the tussenletter (linking letter): pan + koek becomes pannenkoek (pancake), not pankoek. The linking letter can be -en-, -s-, -er-, or nothing at all. This page shows which one to use.

The main linking letter is -en-, and the deciding factor is the plural of the first word: if that word forms its plural only with -en, you write -en- between the parts. The other links (-s-, -er-, or none) follow their own smaller rules. Native speakers find this hard too, so a dictionary or spellchecker is the final word.

Write -en- when the first word is a noun whose plural is only -en (and not also -s). The -en- is written even though in speech most people say only a faint -e-.

• de pan + de koek → pannenkoek (pancake); pan → pannen.
• het boek + de kast → boekenkast (bookcase); boek → boeken.
• de krant + de kop → krantenkop (headline); krant → kranten.
• de student + het huis → studentenhuis (student house); student → studenten.

If the first word also has an -s plural or no plural, you do not add -en-: de groente (plural groenten or groentes) gives groentesoep (vegetable soup), not groentensoep. This spelling was fixed by the 1995 and 2005 reforms; older books may still show pannekoek or paddestoel, now written pannenkoek and paddenstoel.

Write -s- when you actually hear an s between the two parts: staatssecretaris, verjaardagsfeest. As a rule the -s- turns up after first parts ending in -ing, -heid, or -teit, and after words for people ending in -er.

• de regering + het beleid → regeringsbeleid (government policy).
• de vrijheid + de strijd → vrijheidsstrijd (struggle for freedom).
• de universiteit + de bibliotheek → universiteitsbibliotheek (university library).
• het meisje + de kleding → meisjeskleding (girls' clothing); a diminutive in -je takes -s-.

When the second part begins with an s-like sound, you cannot hear the linking s — as in stationschef (station master). The rule then is: write the -s- if related compounds with the same first word clearly have one, such as stationsplein (station square). So stationschef keeps its -s-.

A handful of nouns whose plural is -eren use -er- as the link. Most come from het kind (plural kinderen): kinderwagen (pram), kinderbijslag (child benefit). From het ei (plural eieren) you get eierschaal (eggshell). This is the rarest link of all, because only a small set of nouns have an -eren plural — so it is easiest to memorise the -er- words one by one.

You add nothing between the parts in these cases:

• The first part is not a noun at all but an adjective or the stem of a verb: snel (fast) + de weg → snelweg (motorway); zwemmen (to swim) + het bad → zwembad (swimming pool).
• The first part ends in a vowel or a silent -e: de auto + de sleutel → autosleutel (car key); de douche + het gordijn → douchegordijn (shower curtain).
• The first part ends in an unstressed -el, -en, or -em: de tafel + het kleed → tafelkleed (tablecloth); de keuken + de kast → keukenkast (kitchen cupboard); de bodem + de prijs → bodemprijs (rock-bottom price).

Some everyday compounds are frozen with an older -e- link and never switched to the modern -en-, even though the first noun does form an -en plural. A useful hint: the first part often names something the world has only one of. De zon gives zonneschijn (sunshine) and zonnebloem (sunflower); de maan gives maneschijn (moonlight). Writing zonnenschijn or manenschijn is wrong — learn these as set spellings. Whenever a compound leaves you guessing, look it up; even native speakers reach for the dictionary here.