De vs Het: How Do Dutch Noun Articles Work?
Learn common-gender and neuter articles and their effect on adjective endings.
NL002 · NL · A1 / A2 · grammar, vocabulary
The question
Why is it de tafel but het huis?
Standard Dutch singular nouns generally take either de (common gender) or het (neuter gender). Plurals normally take de, including plurals of het-words. The article is best learned together with the noun: de tafel (the table), het huis (the house), de huizen (the houses).
Article patterns
| Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Common gender | de stoel | the chair |
| Neuter singular | het boek | the book |
| Plural | de boeken | the books |
| Diminutive | het huisje | the little house |
Diminutives ending in -je are neuter: het meisje (the girl), het tafeltje (the little table). De/het also affects some adjective endings: een mooi huis (a beautiful house) but het mooie huis (the beautiful house); een mooie tafel and de mooie tafel. These examples concern adjectives placed before nouns.
Common mistake
Avoid *de boek for the singular noun boek. Say het boek, but de boeken in the plural. Don't assume a noun referring to a female person necessarily uses de: het meisje is correct.
Remember
Learn every singular noun with de or het; plurals usually use de, and diminutives use het.