De man die daar loopt is mijn vader.
English: The man who is walking there is my father.
- Language
- Dutch
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Voornaamwoorden en congruentie
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Relative pronouns in Dutch (betrekkelijke voornaamwoorden) are words like 'die', 'dat', and 'wie' used to connect two clauses by referring to a noun mentioned before.
When to use it
Use Dutch relative pronouns to join a main clause with a relative clause that gives more information about a noun. They refer back to something or someone mentioned earlier.
Key forms
- 'die' (for de-words and plural nouns)
- 'dat' (for het-words, singular neuter nouns)
- 'wie' (for people, in some cases)
- 'waar + preposition' (e.g., 'waarop', 'waarmee')
Examples
Het boek dat ik lees is spannend.
English: The book that I am reading is exciting.
De mensen met wie ik werk zijn vriendelijk.
English: The people with whom I work are friendly.
Dit is het huis waar ik woon.
English: This is the house where I live.
Tips
- Use 'die' for de-words and plurals, and 'dat' for het-words.
- 'Wie' is only used for people and after prepositions.
- After a preposition, use 'waar' + preposition for things (e.g., 'waarover').
Exceptions and edge cases
- 'Wat' is used as a relative pronoun after indefinite words like 'alles', 'iets', 'niets', and after superlatives.