lidwoorden

Lidwoorden are determiners that mark the definiteness, number and sometimes gender of a noun in Dutch. They are essential for signaling how specific or general a noun phrase is. Dutch uses two main sets of lidwoorden: definite (de en het) and indefinite (een). These sit directly before the noun.

The definite article is de or het. De is used with most common gender nouns (historically masculine or feminine) and all plural nouns, regardless of gender. Het is used with neuter singular nouns. For example: de man, de vrouw, de kinderen, het huis. In plural, all nouns take de: de huizen, de kinderen. The definite article is also used in many fixed expressions and with some geographical names, though usage varies regionally.

The indefinite article is een, used only with singular nouns to indicate ‘a’ or ‘an’ in a non-specific sense: een man, een boek, een auto. There is no indefinite article in the plural. In place of an indefinite article, Dutch can also omit the article entirely in generic or plural statements (auto’s zijn duur; studenten studeren hard).

Diminutives are a notable exception: most diminutives are neuter and take het as their definite article in the singular (het huisje, het kindje). The indefinite article for diminutives remains een (een huisje).

Additional notes: the choice of lidwoord can influence meaning and formality, and Belgian Dutch may show regional variation. Overall, lidwoorden are a fundamental feature of Dutch noun phrases, shaping clarity and agreement in sentences.