The pattern
Deze and dit point to something close, die and dat to something further away. Choose the pair that matches the noun: deze and die for de-words and plurals, dit and dat for het-words.
- de stoel, close: deze stoel (this chair)
- de stoel, far: die stoel (that chair)
- het raam, close: dit raam (this window)
- het raam, far: dat raam (that window)
- plural, close: deze stoelen, deze ramen (these)
- plural, far: die stoelen, die ramen (those)
Examples
| Deze fiets is nieuw. | This bike is new. |
| Gaat die trein naar Utrecht? | Does that train go to Utrecht? |
| Dit brood is lekker. | This bread is tasty. |
| Werkt Daan in dat gebouw? | Does Daan work in that building? |
| Deze appels zijn heel zoet. | These apples are very sweet. |
| Ik neem die schoenen. | I'll take those shoes. |
| Zijn deze boeken van Priya? | Are these books Priya's? |
| Dat meisje is de dochter van Ahmed. | That girl is Ahmed's daughter. |
| Deze week is Sanne jarig. | It is Sanne's birthday this week. |
Why it works this way
The grammar term for these words is demonstratives: pointing words. A demonstrative takes the place of de or het, so it has to match the noun in the same way. Compare de tafel, deze tafel with het bord, dit bord. In the plural every noun uses de (see De or het), so de borden gives deze borden and die borden.
Remember: het ends in t, and so do dit and dat. De ends in e, and so do deze and die.
English only changes for number: this book, these books. Dutch also changes for de or het, but that difference disappears in the plural. If you speak German or Spanish, the idea will feel familiar.
This means you can only pick the right word if you know the article, so always learn a noun together with de or het (How to actually learn de and het).
Close and far also work for time: deze week means this week, and die avond means that evening.
When dit or dat stands alone, as in Dit is Mei, the rule is different. That is the next lesson: Dit is, dat is, het is.
Watch out
Notdit fiets
Saydeze fiets
it is de fiets, so deze
Notdie huis
Saydat huis
it is het huis, so dat
Notdat boeken
Saydie boeken
plurals always take deze or die, even though it is het boek
Notdeze meisje
Saydit meisje
singular diminutives, such as meisje, are always het-words
NotIk neem dat trein.
SayIk neem die trein.
dat looks like English that, but it is de trein, so die
Quick check
- You are holding a cup of coffee (de koffie). Fill in deze or dit: ... koffie is te heet.
- You point at a house across the street. Fill in the gap: ... huis is mooi.
- Choose deze or dit: ... tomaten zijn rijp.
- Fix the sentence without changing its meaning: Die kopje is van Bas.
Show the answers
- Deze: koffie is a de-word, and it is close to you.
- Dat: huis is a het-word, and it is far away.
- Deze: plurals always take deze or die.
- Dat kopje is van Bas.: kopje is a singular diminutive, so it is het kopje.
Use it today
In the supermarket, pick three things and name them in your head with the right word, for example deze appels, dat brood and die kaas. If you are unsure about de or het, guess first and check at home.