bepaaldeindefinite

Bepaaldeindefinite is not a standard term in Dutch grammar. In linguistic discussions, it is usually treated as two related notions: definite and indefinite articles. Together they mark how a noun refers to something known to the listener or something non-specific.

Definite articles in Dutch are de and het. De is used with most common-gender nouns in the singular and with all nouns in the plural. Het is used with neuter singular nouns. In contexts where the noun is definite, the definite article appears before the noun: de man, het huis, de kinderen. After a definite article, adjectives generally take an -e ending: de grote man, het snelle huis.

Indefinite articles in Dutch is een. It is used only with singular, non-specific nouns: een man, een huis. There is no indefinite article in the plural; plural nouns typically appear without an article or with another determiner. The word één (accented) can be used to emphasize the number one: één man, één huis.

In addition, Dutch makes use of a zero article in several generic or mass-noun contexts: Honden zijn huisdieren (Dogs are pets). Negation of indefiniteness is expressed with geen: Ik heb geen geld (I have no money).

Overall, the system of definite and indefinite articles helps indicate how a noun is being referred to in a sentence—whether the speaker assumes shared knowledge of a specific referent, or whether the reference is non-specific or new. The term affected by practice is often described as the category of definite versus indefinite articles rather than a single combined concept.