De man die daar loopt is mijn buurman.
English: The man who is walking there is my neighbor.
- Language
- Dutch
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Voornaamwoorden
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Betrekkelijke voornaamwoorden are Dutch words like 'die', 'dat', 'wie', and 'wat' used to connect two sentences by referring back to a noun or a whole idea. They help make your Dutch sentences longer and more interesting.
When to use it
Use betrekkelijke voornaamwoorden in Dutch to join two sentences, where the second sentence gives more information about a noun or an idea in the first sentence.
Key forms
- 'die' (for de-words, plural words)
- 'dat' (for het-words)
- 'wie' (for people, after something like 'degene')
- 'wat' (for things, or after 'alles', 'iets', 'niets')
Examples
Het boek dat ik lees is spannend.
English: The book that I am reading is exciting.
Ik heb iets wat jij nodig hebt.
English: I have something that you need.
De mensen die hier wonen zijn vriendelijk.
English: The people who live here are friendly.
Degene wie ik bedoel is niet hier.
English: The person whom I mean is not here.
Tips
- Remember: use 'die' for de-words and plural, 'dat' for het-words.
- After words like 'alles', 'iets', or 'niets', use 'wat', not 'dat'.
- 'Wie' is only used for people after words like 'degene'.
Exceptions and edge cases
- After an entire sentence or an idea, use 'wat' instead of 'dat'.
- Never use 'dat' for people, always use 'die' or 'wie' (after 'degene').