Dutch Relative Pronouns: Die or Dat? | B1 Dutch, Lesson 1

Welcome to B1 Lesson one. In this lesson, we are going to learn about the betrekkelijk voornaamwoord — the Dutch relative pronoun. In English, the relative pronoun is the word that or which — as in the book that I am reading or the woman who lives next door. In Dutch, there are two forms: die and dat. Which one you use depends on the noun you are referring back to. By the end of this lesson, you will know exactly when to use die and when to use dat — and you will understand why.

What is a betrekkelijke bijzin?

A betrekkelijke bijzin is a relative clause. It is a clause that gives extra information about a noun in the main sentence. Think of it as replacing a second sentence with extra detail attached directly to the noun. Instead of saying I have a bag. The bag is red, you combine them: "Ik heb een tas die rood is — I have a bag that is red. The relative clause always follows directly after the noun it refers to. And notice the word order inside the clause: the verb moves to the very end. die rood is — not die is rood."

die or dat?

So when do you use die, and when do you use dat? The answer depends on the noun you are referring to. If the noun is a de-word in the singular, use die. If the noun is a het-word in the singular, use dat. And if the noun is plural — any plural — always use die, regardless of whether the singular was de or het. For basic relative clauses with a clear noun before the clause, this is the core rule. If you are not sure whether a word is de or het, check the article — for singular het-words, dat is required. Using die with a het-word would be incorrect.

die — for de-words

Let us look at die with de-words. "De man die elke dag fietst — the man who cycles every day. De stad die ik heel mooi vind — the city that I find very beautiful. De docent die heel geduldig is — the teacher who is very patient. De trein die om negen uur vertrekt — the train that departs at nine o'clock. In every case, the noun before die is a de-word. Notice that in English, you might use who for people and that or which for things. In Dutch, die handles all of them — people, animals, and things — as long as the noun is a de"-word.

dat — for het-words

Now let us look at dat with het-words. "Het programma dat ik elke week bekijk — the programme that I watch every week. Het restaurant dat net is geopend — the restaurant that has just opened. Het kind dat buiten speelt — the child who is playing outside. Het idee dat ik heel goed vind — the idea that I think is very good. In all these cases, the noun before dat is a het-word. Just like with die, dat works for both people and things — as long as the singular noun is a het"-word.

Meervoud? Altijd die.

Here is an important rule that catches many learners. All plurals take die — always, without exception. Even if the singular form of the word is a het-word that normally takes dat. Look at the examples: "het huis dat groot is — the house that is big. But in the plural: de huizen die groot zijn — the houses that are big. The word switches from dat to die in the plural. Same with het kind dat speelt — the child who plays — versus de kinderen die spelen — the children who play. The reason is simple: all Dutch plurals are de-words, so they all take die".

Word Order in the Relative Clause

The word order inside a relative clause follows the standard subclause rule in Dutch — the verb goes to the end. "Ik ken een vrouw die goed kookt — I know a woman who cooks well. The verb kookt comes at the very end of the relative clause. In this relative clause, you cannot say die kookt goed — the verb must move to the end of the clause. The same applies when you have more than one verb. If you use the perfect tense: de film die ik gisteren gezien heb — the film that I watched yesterday. Both gezien and heb go to the end. This is not a new rule — it is the same subclause word order you already know from other bijzinnen".

Where Does the Clause Go?

The relative clause must come directly after the noun it refers to. It cannot appear before the noun it describes. Now, when do you use commas? The key is not position in the sentence — it is whether the clause is essential or extra. If the clause is needed to identify which person or thing you mean, no commas are used. "Ik heb een collega die altijd vroeg op kantoor is — which colleague? The early one. The clause is essential for understanding who is meant. But if the noun is already fully identified, and the clause simply adds extra detail, commas go on both sides. Mijn collega, die altijd vroeg op kantoor is, drinkt heel veel koffie" — we already know it is my colleague; the relative clause is just extra information. So: defining information — no commas. Extra, non-essential information — commas on both sides.

Two Uses of dat

There is one small point worth noticing. The word dat has two completely different jobs in Dutch. In one use, dat is a conjunction — it connects a main clause to a subordinate clause. "Ik weet dat hij morgen komt — I know that he is coming tomorrow. Here, dat does not refer to any noun. It simply introduces the clause. In the other use, dat is a relative pronoun referring back to a specific het-word. Het boek dat op tafel ligt, is van mij — the book that is lying on the table is mine. Here, dat refers back to het boek. The quick way to tell the difference: does dat refer back to a specific het-word and describe that noun? Then it is a relative pronoun. Does dat" introduce what someone says, thinks, or knows? Then it is the conjunction.

Key Takeaways

Let us review. The betrekkelijk voornaamwoord — the relative pronoun — is either die or dat. Use die for de-words in the singular, and for all plurals. Use dat for het-words in the singular only. The relative clause always comes directly after the noun, and the verb moves to the end. When the clause gives extra, non-essential information about an already-identified noun, place commas on both sides. Remember the contrast: "het kind dat speelt, but de kinderen die spelen — because plurals always take die. In our next lesson, we will expand relative clauses to include prepositions — so you can say things like the house that I live in using the waar"-construction.

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