Which Dutch nouns take het (the)?
Learn the two patterns that always take het, the endings and meaning groups that offer clues, and the cases that still require a dictionary.
Het huis (the house) uses het. The noun huis belongs to the neuter class, the group of singular nouns that uses het. A noun names a person, place, thing or idea. Neuter nouns form a minority of Dutch nouns. No rule predicts every noun's article. A few patterns can guide you.
Which patterns always give het?
Het huisje (the little house) and het wachten (waiting) show the two patterns you can rely on. One changes a noun's form; the other turns a verb form into a noun.
- Every singular diminutive takes het: de tuin (the garden) becomes het tuintje (the little garden), and de kop (the cup) becomes het kopje (the little cup). A diminutive is a form that presents something as small or familiar. Learn how to form one in Dutch diminutives.
- An infinitive used as a noun takes het when it has a definite article: het zwemmen (swimming), het roken (smoking), het wachten (waiting). The infinitive is the dictionary form of a verb, such as zwemmen (to swim). See verbs used as nouns.
Which endings usually point to het?
Het toerisme (tourism), het instrument (the instrument), het kapsel (the hairstyle) and het museum (the museum) show four common ending clues. The exceptions in the last column are why these endings remain clues rather than rules.
| Ending | Common het examples | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| -isme, -asme | het toerisme, het enthousiasme | This pattern normally gives het. |
| -ment | het instrument, het abonnement | Some English loans take de, such as de recruitment. |
| -sel | het kapsel, het raadsel | deksel can take de or het. |
| -um | het museum, het centrum | datum takes de. |
Which meaning groups usually take het?
Het Nederlands (Dutch), het goud (gold) and het noorden (the north) belong to three meaning groups that usually take het. Treat the groups as clues and keep learning each article with its noun.
- Languages: het Nederlands (Dutch), het Engels (English), het Frans (French).
- Metals: het goud (gold), het zilver (silver), het ijzer (iron).
- Compass directions: het noorden (the north), het zuiden (the south), het oosten (the east), het westen (the west).
When do be-, ge-, ver- and ont- help?
Het begin (the beginning), het gevoel (the feeling), het verhaal (the story) and het ontbijt (breakfast) show another clue. Each example has two syllables: the prefix is the first spoken part, and the rest is the second. Many nouns with this shape take het.
De verwarming (the heating) shows the limit. A noun ending in -ing normally takes de, even after one of these beginnings. Other exceptions also occur, such as de gewoonte (the habit), so check an unfamiliar noun.
How does a compound noun get its article?
De stad (the city) plus het huis (the house) gives het stadhuis (the town hall). In a regular compound, the final noun is the head: it names the kind of thing that the whole word refers to. The head determines whether the compound takes de or het.
| Parts | Compound | Why |
|---|---|---|
| de koffie + het kopje | het koffiekopje | It is a kind of kopje. |
| het werk + de plaats | de werkplaats | It is a kind of plaats. |
| het land + de bouw | de landbouw | The head bouw takes de. |
A few established words are exceptions. For example, Dutch uses de blik (the glance) but het ogenblik (the moment). Use the head rule for a clear, regular compound. Check a dictionary when the final part no longer names what the whole word is.
Why does the het class matter?
Het huis (the house) becomes de huizen (the houses) in the plural. The noun class also affects dit (this), dat (that) and the relative dat (that or which). See the de and het overview for these forms.
With een plus a singular het-word, a regular adjective has no -e: een groot huis (a big house). Other patterns use different adjective forms. See when an adjective has no -e.
How should you learn nouns without a reliable clue?
Het huis (the house) and de woning (the home) have similar meanings but different articles. Learn the singular definite article with the noun: store het huis, not only huis. Check the Woordenlijst, the official Dutch word list, or a dictionary when a pattern gives only a clue. Dictionaries cannot list every possible new compound. Use the final head for a clear compound. Look up an established word when it does not fit.
See also
- Use the de and het overview for the full singular and plural system.
- Compare which nouns take de for the other main article group.
- Learn the endings in Dutch diminutives.
- Which article does *meisje* (girl) take?
- *de*, because it refers to a person
- *het*, because it is a diminutive
- *een* only
- both *de* and *het*
Every singular diminutive takes *het*. The ending *-je* marks *meisje* as a diminutive, so the phrase is *het meisje*.
- Complete: *___ goud is duur.* (Gold is expensive.)
- *De*
- *Het*
- *Een*
- *Die*
Names of metals usually take *het*. The correct phrase is *het goud*.
- Which noun takes *de*?
- *het museum*
- *het toerisme*
- *de verwarming*
- *het instrument*
*Verwarming* ends in *-ing*, which normally points to *de*. The prefix *ver-* does not override that ending, so the phrase is *de verwarming*.
- *de stad* + *het huis* gives *stadhuis*. Which article does the compound take?
- *de*, from *stad*
- *het*, from *huis*
- *een* only
- no article
The final head of a regular compound determines the article. *Huis* takes *het*, so the phrase is *het stadhuis*.
- Why is *het Nederlands* a *het*-word?
- All country names take *het*.
- Names of languages usually take *het*.
- Every word ending in *-s* takes *het*.
- It is plural.
Names of languages usually take *het*, as in *het Nederlands* (Dutch) and *het Engels* (English).
Test yourself
Question 1 of 5
Which article does meisje (girl) take?