Er is een boek op de tafel.
English: There is a book on the table.
- Language
- Dutch
- Level
- A1
- Unit
- Werkwoorden en werkwoordsvormen
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
'Er is' and 'er zijn' are used to say that something exists or is present in Dutch.
When to use it
Use 'er is' for one thing and 'er zijn' for more than one thing.
Key forms
- er is
- er zijn
- Is er...?
- Zijn er...?
- Er is geen...
Examples
Er zijn drie stoelen in de kamer.
English: There are three chairs in the room.
Is er een supermarkt hier?
English: Is there a supermarket here?
Er zijn geen appels.
English: There are no apples.
Tips
- Use 'er is' for singular nouns and 'er zijn' for plural nouns.
- In questions, put 'er' after the verb: 'Is er...?' or 'Zijn er...?'
- Use 'geen' to say there is not or there are not.
Word of the Day
Today's hand-picked vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation page for Dutch. Bookmark this section — it refreshes every day.
Get one new word every morning
Subscribe to SmartWords daily picks. Choose the topics you want — we send one short email per day.
Keep exploring
Play SmartWords games
Six word games built around our real vocabulary — free in the browser, no install.
Open the game hub →-
Word Sling
Match the center word under time pressure and keep the combo alive.
Play now → -
Word Gate
Fly through the correct gate before the speed ramps up.
Play now → -
Word Ninja
Slice the goal-language words, avoid the main-language decoy, and chase the announced bonus target.
Play now → -
Word Zip
Trace a single path across the board, hit each letter anchor in order, and fill every open cell.
Play now → -
Word Oddity
Pick the word that doesn't belong from a topic-driven set — every tap reveals all four meanings and images so the round becomes a flash-card too.
Play now → -
Word Memory
Flip and match goal-language words to their main-language meaning before your lives run out.
Play now →