In Dutch, days and months get a small letter (_maandag_, _januari_), but languages and nationalities get a capital (_Nederlands_, _een Spanjaard_). Names of people, places and institutions are capitalised, the polite _u_ is not, and when a word starting with _ij_ needs a capital, both letters go up: _IJsland_.
The pattern
A capital letter starts a sentence or a name. Languages, nationalities and adjectives from place names count as names; days, months and the polite _u_ do not.
- Small: days and months, such as _dinsdag_, _zaterdag_, _maart_, _oktober_.
- Capital: languages, nationalities and adjectives made from countries and places: _Engels_, _Arabisch_, _een Nederlander_, _Spaanse wijn_.
- Capital: names of people, places, streets and institutions: _Fatima_, _Rotterdam_, _de Kalverstraat_, _de Belastingdienst_. Holidays are names too: _Koningsdag_, _Pasen_.
- Small: ordinary nouns, even important ones: _de gemeente_, _de huisarts_.
- _IJ_: when _ij_ starts a name or a sentence, both letters go up: _IJmuiden_.
- Small: the polite _u_ (formal "you"), and _ik_ (I) inside a sentence.
Examples
| Mijn verjaardag is in juli. | My birthday is in July. |
|---|---|
| Op woensdag gaat Sanne naar de markt. | On Wednesday Sanne goes to the market. |
| Priya spreekt Engels en een beetje Nederlands. | Priya speaks English and a little Dutch. |
| Carlos is een Spanjaard. | Carlos is a Spaniard. |
| Joris eet graag Nederlandse kaas. | Joris likes eating Dutch cheese. |
| IJs is lekker in de zomer. | Ice cream is lovely in summer. |
| Yara woont in IJmuiden. | Yara lives in IJmuiden. |
| Goedemiddag, kunt u mij helpen? | Good afternoon, can you help me? |
| Daan werkt bij de Belastingdienst in Utrecht. | Daan works for the tax office in Utrecht. |
Why it works this way
A capital in Dutch says: this is a name, one specific person, place or organisation.
- _de stad_ (any city) versus _Utrecht_ (one city)
- _de universiteit_ (any university) versus _de Universiteit Utrecht_ (one institution)
Languages, nationalities and adjectives like _Nederlandse_ belong to a place on the map: _Nederlands_ goes with _Nederland_, _Spaans_ and _Spanjaard_ with _Spanje_. That link earns them the capital.
Days and months have no such link. Dutch files them with ordinary time words like _ochtend_ (morning) and _zomer_ (summer). English already writes morning and summer small; Dutch simply adds Monday and January to the same drawer. More in [Days, months and dates](#/lesson/days-months-dates).
The pair _ij_ behaves almost like one letter (see [ui, eu, ij, ei, ou, au, oe, ie](#/lesson/vowel-combinations)), so it goes up as a pair. The water behind Amsterdam's central station is even called _het IJ_.
The polite _u_ shows respect through the word itself, not through a capital. You may see _U_ in prayers or very old-fashioned letters, but your email to the _gemeente_ uses _u_. See [U or jij](#/lesson/u-or-jij) for when to use it.
Remember: a capital marks the start of a sentence, a name, or a word tied to a place on the map. Days and months stay small.
Watch out
- Not: _Tot Maandag!_ Say: _Tot maandag!_ (days are lowercase)
- Not: _Ik spreek een beetje nederlands._ Say: _Ik spreek een beetje Nederlands._ (languages always take a capital, unlike in Spanish or French)
- Not: _Ijsland_ Say: _IJsland_ (_ij_ is capitalised as a pair)
- Not: _Kunt U mij helpen?_ Say: _Kunt u mij helpen?_ (the polite _u_ is lowercase in everyday writing)
- Not: _Ik heb een nieuwe Fiets._ Say: _Ik heb een nieuwe fiets._ (ordinary nouns are lowercase, unlike in German)
Quick check
- Fix the sentence: _Het is vaak koud in Februari._
- Choose: _Mei komt uit China. Ze spreekt ..._ (_chinees_ or _Chinees_)
- Choose: _Bas gaat in augustus naar ..._ (_Ijsland_ or _IJsland_)
- Fix the sentence: _Kunt U de Huisarts bellen?_
Answers
- _Het is vaak koud in februari._ (months are lowercase)
- _Chinees_ (languages take a capital)
- _IJsland_ (both letters of _ij_ become capitals)
- _Kunt u de huisarts bellen?_ (the polite _u_ and ordinary nouns are lowercase)
Use it today
Write a short message to a neighbour or colleague in Dutch with three facts: where you come from, which languages you speak and which day you are free this week. Then check every capital: does it start a sentence, or is it a name, a language, a nationality or an adjective from a place name like _Nederlandse_? If not, make it small, and make sure every language and nationality does have its capital.