When a stressed short vowel stays short before an ending that starts with a vowel, Dutch doubles the single consonant after it: _de bal_ becomes _de ballen_, and _ik zit_ becomes _wij zitten_. The second letter keeps the vowel short. At the end of a word you normally write just one (_bal_, _stop_), and _ch_ and _ng_ never double.
The pattern
When a stressed short vowel stays short, double the single consonant after it before an ending that starts with a vowel. Otherwise, write one.
- Plurals: _de kat, de katten_
- Verbs: _ik stop, wij stoppen_
- Adjectives: _dik, een dikke jas_
- Before _-t_ it stays single: _hij stopt_
- Two different consonants already: no change, _de hond, de honden_
- _ch_, _ng_ and _x_ never double: _lachen_, _zingen_, _boxen_
- A few words get a long vowel instead and keep one consonant: _de dag, de dagen_, _de weg, de wegen_
Examples
| Daan heeft een bal, maar Bas heeft drie ballen. | Daan has a ball, but Bas has three balls. |
|---|---|
| Ik zit hier en jullie zitten daar. | I am sitting here and you are sitting there. |
| Joris stopt bij het stoplicht en wij stoppen ook. | Joris stops at the traffic light and we stop too. |
| Priya koopt een fles melk en twee flessen water. | Priya buys a bottle of milk and two bottles of water. |
| Ahmed draagt een dikke jas. | Ahmed is wearing a thick coat. |
| Wij lachen en zingen voor Lotte, want ze is jarig. | We laugh and sing for Lotte, because it is her birthday. |
Why it works this way
One consonant between two vowels starts the next syllable (see [open and closed syllables](#/lesson/open-closed-syllables)). So _balen_ would split as _ba-len_, and the _a_ would end an open syllable (one that ends in a vowel), where a stressed single _a_, _e_, _o_ or _u_ is usually read long. A second _l_ closes the syllable: _bal-len_, with a short _a_.
One letter changes the word: _de mannen_ (the men), _de manen_ (the moons).
In a small group of words the vowel really does become long before the ending: _de dag_ has a short _a_, _de dagen_ a long one. The spelling of the singular does not warn you, so learn these plurals as you meet them.
English writes ball and will. Dutch writes _bal_ and _wil_; only a few loanwords, such as _jazz_, end in a double consonant. The pairs _ch_ and _ng_ never double, even though the vowel stays short.
The rule is about stressed vowels. Some unstressed last syllables keep one consonant: _de perzik, de perziken_.
Remember: one consonant closes the short vowel, its twin starts the ending. No vowel after it, no twin.
Watch out
- Not: _Ik will koffie._ Say: _Ik wil koffie._ (the verb form _wil_ ends in one _l_)
- Not: _Wij ziten in de trein._ Say: _Wij zitten in de trein._ (short _i_, so the _t_ doubles)
- Not: _twee flesen water_ Say: _twee flessen water_ (short _e_, so the _s_ doubles)
- Not: _Hij stoppt hier._ Say: _Hij stopt hier._ (_-t_ is not a vowel, so the _p_ stays single)
Quick check
- Write the plural: _een bus, twee ..._
- Choose: _Wij (bakken / baken) een taart voor Bas._
- Fix the sentence: _Ik stopp om vijf uur._
- Fill in the gap: _ik zing, wij ..._
Answers
- _bussen_ (short _u_, so the _s_ doubles)
- _bakken_ (short _a_, so the _k_ doubles)
- _Ik stop om vijf uur._ (the stem _stop_ ends in one _p_)
- _zingen_ (_ng_ never doubles)
Use it today
Write a Dutch shopping list with four plurals, such as _twee flessen melk_ or _drie potten jam_, and check every short vowel before _-en_.