Het rode boek ligt op tafel.
English: The red book is on the table.
- Language
- Dutch
- Level
- A2
- Unit
- Bijvoeglijke naamwoorden en bijwoorden
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In Dutch, 'bijvoeglijke naamwoorden' are adjectives. They describe or give more information about a noun, like color, size, or quality.
When to use it
Use adjectives in Dutch to describe people, animals, things, or places. They usually come before the noun.
Key forms
- Basic form: mooi huis
- With -e ending: mooie vrouw
- No -e after 'een' and an 'onzijdig' (neuter) word: een mooi kind
Examples
Ik heb een grote hond.
English: I have a big dog.
Een oud huis staat daar.
English: An old house stands there.
De blauwe jas is mooi.
English: The blue coat is beautiful.
Tips
- Most adjectives get an -e ending before a noun, except after 'een' with neuter singular nouns.
- Adjectives do not change for gender, only for number and definiteness.
- Pay attention to spelling changes when adding -e, like 'groot' to 'grote'.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some adjectives have irregular forms, like 'goed' (good) becomes 'goede' with -e.
- Adjectives ending in -en do not get an extra -e.