Dutch grammar · A2

Deze, die, dit, dat: this and that in Dutch.

A de-word takes deze (this) or die (that). A het-word takes dit (this) or dat (that). Plurals always take deze (these) or die (those).

4 minute readGo to the 20 questions

English has four pointing words: this, that, these and those. Dutch also has four: deze, die, dit and dat. But Dutch chooses in a different way. It looks at two things: is the noun a de-word or a het-word? Is the thing close or far away?

The four forms

The whole system fits in one small grid. The article is on one side, the distance on the other.

De or het, close or far
	De-word	Het-word
Close (this, these)	deze jas, deze trein	dit huis, dit glas
Far (that, those)	die jas, die trein	dat huis, dat glas

Close or far away?

Close means near you: you can see it or almost touch it. Far means further away, or near the other person. It works for time too. Close is now, far is the past.

Deze tas is van mij.This bag is mine. The bag is next to you.
Die tas daar is van mijn zus.That bag over there is my sister's.
Dit jaar ga ik op vakantie.This year I am going on holiday.
Dat jaar woonde ik nog bij mijn ouders.That year I still lived with my parents.

Two rules with no exceptions

Not sure about the article? For these two groups you always know the answer.

Plural: deze or die

Every plural is a de-word.
Het boek (the book), but deze boeken (these books).
Het kind (the child), but die kinderen (those children).

Diminutive: dit or dat

Every diminutive ending in -je is a het-word.
De tas (the bag), but dit tasje (this little bag).
Even for people: dat meisje (that girl).

Die and dat on their own

You can also use die and dat without a noun after them. They then stand for something already known or mentioned. You hear this a lot in conversation.

Ken je mijn buurman? Ja, die is aardig.Do you know my neighbour? Yes, he is nice. Die stands for de buurman.
Wat is dat? Dat is een pen.What is that? That is a pen. You do not know the word yet, so you say dat.
Dat klopt.That is right. Dat stands for what the other person just said.

Choose in two steps

Is it a de-word or a plural? Then choose between deze and die. Is it a het-word? Then choose between dit and dat.
Is it close? Then it is deze or dit. Is it far away? Then it is die or dat.

Practise: deze, die, dit or dat?

20 words. Above each word you see whether it is close (dichtbij) or far away (ver weg). Choose the right word. After every answer you see straight away why.

Choose deze, die, dit or dat.

1.
dichtbij
... glas.
deze · dit · die · dat
2.
ver weg
... trein.
deze · dit · die · dat
3.
dichtbij
... schoenen.
deze · dit · die · dat
4.
ver weg
... ei.
deze · dit · die · dat
5.
dichtbij
... jas.
deze · dit · die · dat
6.
ver weg
... jongens.
deze · dit · die · dat
7.
dichtbij
... recept.
deze · dit · die · dat
8.
ver weg
... deur.
deze · dit · die · dat
9.
ver weg
... kantoor.
deze · dit · die · dat
10.
dichtbij
... vrienden.
deze · dit · die · dat
11.
dichtbij
... appel.
deze · dit · die · dat
12.
ver weg
... brood.
deze · dit · die · dat
13.
ver weg
... winkels.
deze · dit · die · dat
14.
dichtbij
... station.
deze · dit · die · dat
15.
ver weg
... bomen.
deze · dit · die · dat
16.
dichtbij
... tas.
deze · dit · die · dat
17.
ver weg
... papier.
deze · dit · die · dat
18.
dichtbij
... pakje.
deze · dit · die · dat
19.
ver weg
... stadhuis.
deze · dit · die · dat
20.
ver weg
... collega.
deze · dit · die · dat

You see the answers and explanations when you do the questions.

Questions about deze, die, dit and dat

What are Dutch demonstratives?

They are the words deze, die, dit and dat: this, that, these and those. You choose one based on the article of the noun and the distance.

When do you use deze and when dit?

Both are for something close. Deze is for a de-word or a plural: deze jas, deze schoenen. Dit is for a het-word: dit huis.

What is the difference between die and dat?

Both are for something far away. Die is for a de-word or a plural: die trein, die bomen. Dat is for a het-word: dat kantoor.

Is it dit meisje or deze meisje?

Dit meisje. Meisje (girl) is a diminutive. Diminutives are always het-words, even when they are about a person. Far away, it is dat meisje.

Why is it "dit zijn mijn kinderen" and not "deze zijn"?

When you introduce people or things with zijn, you use dit or dat. That also goes for plurals. With the noun straight after, you do say deze kinderen.

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