---
title: "Relative pronouns: die and dat"
level: B1
chapter: "Pronouns"
canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/relative-die-dat
updated: 2026-10-08
author: Dutch Fluency
license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
---

# Relative pronouns: die and dat

When you want to say "the man who..." or "the house that..." in Dutch, you use _die_ or _dat_. Use _dat_ after a singular het-word and _die_ after everything else: de-words and all plurals. The verb goes to the end of that part of the sentence, and unlike English, you can never leave _die_ or _dat_ out.

## The pattern

> Use _die_ after de-words and plurals, and _dat_ after singular het-words. The conjugated verb goes to the end of the relative clause.

- A relative pronoun is a linking word like English who, which or that. It works the same for people and things. The extra information it introduces is the relative clause.
- De-word: _de man die daar staat_
- Singular het-word: _het huis dat ik koop_
- Plural: always _die_, even for het-words: _de huizen die ik bekijk_
- Diminutives are het-words, so they take _dat_: _het kopje dat op tafel staat_
- The conjugated verb (the one that matches the subject) moves to the end. Any other verbs join it there.
- In writing, a comma often closes the relative clause when the main verb follows right after it.

## Examples

| De man **die** daar bij de bushalte **staat**, is mijn buurman. | The man who is standing at the bus stop over there is my neighbour. |
| Het meisje **dat** achter de kassa **zit**, is de dochter van Fatima. | The girl who is sitting at the till is Fatima's daughter. |
| De fiets **die** Daan **wil kopen**, is tweedehands. | The bike Daan wants to buy is second-hand. |
| Het huis **dat** ik **koop**, ligt vlak bij het station. | The house I'm buying is very close to the station. |
| De huizen **die** we **bekeken**, waren allemaal te klein. | The houses we looked at were all too small. |
| Het boek **dat** Priya me **gaf**, is echt spannend. | The book Priya gave me is really gripping. |
| Mei heeft een collega **die** drie talen **spreekt**. | Mei has a colleague who speaks three languages. |
| De trein **die** om acht uur **vertrekt**, is weer vertraagd. | The train that leaves at eight is delayed again. |
| Is dit het formulier **dat** ik bij de gemeente **moet inleveren**? | Is this the form I have to hand in at the town hall? |

## Why it works this way

_Die_ and _dat_ are old friends: they are the same words you use to point at things, as in _die fiets_ and _dat huis_. In a relative clause they point back at the noun you just mentioned, so they follow its article. Compare _de fiets die ik koop_, _het huis dat ik koop_ and _de huizen die ik koop_. Every plural takes _de_, so every plural takes _die_. If you are unsure about a noun, see [De or het](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/de-and-het).

Remember: _de_ ends in e, and so does _die_. _Het_ ends in t, and so does _dat_.

The verb goes to the end because a relative clause is a subordinate clause: a part of the sentence that cannot stand alone. Dutch sends the conjugated verb to the end of every subordinate clause, just as after _omdat_ (see Subordinate clauses).

English happily says "the book I read", but Dutch has no such shortcut. A useful way to see it: _die_ or _dat_ is the flag that says "extra information coming, verb at the end". Without the flag, the listener loses the thread.

In relaxed speech you will hear _het meisje die_ or _het bedrijf die_. It is common, but in writing and in exams it counts as a mistake, so stick to _dat_. After a preposition, as in "the man I spoke to", Dutch uses other words: that is the topic of [the next lesson](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/relative-wie-wat-waar).

## Watch out

- Not: _De jas ik gisteren kocht, is te klein._ Say: _De jas die ik gisteren kocht, is te klein._ (Dutch never drops _die_ or _dat_)
- Not: _de man die staat daar_ Say: _de man die daar staat_ (the verb goes to the end)
- Not: _het huis die ik koop_ Say: _het huis dat ik koop_ (_huis_ is a het-word)
- Not: _de buurvrouw wie ik ken_ Say: _de buurvrouw die ik ken_ (without a preposition, who is _die_)
- Not: _de collega die ik hem gisteren belde_ Say: _de collega die ik gisteren belde_ (_die_ already stands for the person, so no extra _hem_)

## Quick check

1. Fill in _die_ or _dat_: _Waar is het pakketje ... gisteren is bezorgd?_
2. Choose: _De treinen (die / dat) naar Amsterdam rijden, zijn vandaag vol._
3. Fix the sentence: _De film ik gisteren zag, was saai._
4. Fix the sentence: _Lotte heeft een baan die is heel leuk._

## Answers

1. _dat_: _pakketje_ is a diminutive, and diminutives are always het-words.
2. _die_: _treinen_ is plural, and plurals always take _die_.
3. _De film die ik gisteren zag, was saai._ Dutch cannot leave out _die_.
4. _Lotte heeft een baan die heel leuk is._ The verb goes to the end of the relative clause.

## Use it today

Think of three people you see this week, like a neighbour, a colleague or your GP, and describe each one in a sentence with _die_: _Bas is de buurman die altijd zijn fiets voor mijn deur zet._ Then pick one het-word around you, such as _het café_ or _het station_, and write one sentence with _dat_.

## Questions learners ask

**When do you use die and when do you use dat in Dutch relative clauses?**

Use dat after a singular het-word, as in het huis dat ik koop. Use die after de-words and after all plurals, as in de man die daar staat and de huizen die we bekeken.

**Can you leave out die or dat in Dutch like "that" in English?**

No. English can say "the book I read", but Dutch always needs the relative pronoun: het boek dat ik las.

**Where does the verb go in a Dutch relative clause?**

The conjugated verb goes to the end of the relative clause, just as in any subordinate clause: de vrouw die naast mij woont. If there are more verbs, they all go to the end together.

From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.