Dutch uses _het_ as an empty subject for the weather and the time: _het regent_ (it's raining), _het is half acht_ (it's half past seven). The subject is the word the verb goes with, and this _het_ refers to nothing at all, just like English "it". You also find it in fixed phrases like _het spijt me_ (I'm sorry) and in statements like _het is belangrijk dat..._ (it's important that...).
The pattern
Dutch uses _het_ as an empty subject for weather and time, in some fixed phrases, and in statements like _het is belangrijk dat..._ The verb takes the same form as with _hij_.
- Weather: _het regent_, _het sneeuwt_, _het waait_ (it's windy), _het is koud_
- Time and days: _het is half acht_ (see [Telling the time](#/lesson/telling-time)), _het is maandag_
- Fixed phrases: _het spijt me_ (I'm sorry), _het gaat goed_ (things are going well), _het lukt_ (it works out), _het geeft niet_ (never mind)
- Impersonal statements: _het is belangrijk dat..._, _het is leuk om te..._
- If the sentence starts with another word, _het_ moves behind the verb: _Vandaag regent het._
Examples
| Het regent al de hele dag. | It has been raining all day. |
|---|---|
| Neem een jas mee, het waait hard. | Take a coat, it's very windy. |
| Vandaag sneeuwt het in Groningen. | It's snowing in Groningen today. |
| Kom op, Lotte, het is al half acht! | Come on, Lotte, it's already half past seven! |
| Het spijt me dat ik te laat ben, Priya. | I'm sorry I'm late, Priya. |
| Hoe gaat het met Ahmed? Het gaat veel beter. | How is Ahmed doing? He's doing a lot better. |
| Het is belangrijk dat je je paspoort meeneemt. | It's important that you bring your passport. |
| Het is leuk om je buren te leren kennen. | It's nice to get to know your neighbours. |
| Het is jammer dat Emma niet op je verjaardag komt. | It's a pity Emma isn't coming to your birthday. |
Why it works this way
In _Daan werkt thuis_, the subject _Daan_ is a real person. In _het regent_, there is nobody to point to, but a normal Dutch statement still needs a subject. So _het_ takes the seat and means nothing.
English does the same with "it", and German with "es": _het spijt me_ works like "es tut mir leid". In Spanish, Italian or Arabic, "rains" alone can be a full sentence, so if you speak one of these, train yourself to say the _het_ every time.
In _het spijt me_, _het_ is the subject and _me_ is the person who feels sorry, so you also say _het spijt hem_ and _het spijt ons_. What you regret can follow in a _dat_ part.
In impersonal statements, the real news sits in the _dat_ part or the _om te_ part. Dutch likes to put _het_ up front and the long part at the end. Inside the _dat_ part, the verb goes to the end (see [Dat clauses](#/lesson/dat-clauses)).
Compare _Het is druk in de trein_ (it's busy on the train) with _Er zijn veel mensen in de trein_ (there are many people on the train). _Het_ describes the situation, while _er_ says that something is there (see [Er is and er zijn](#/lesson/er-is-er-zijn)).
Remember: _het_ here is like a bag on the empty train seat next to you. It holds the place, but nobody is sitting there.
Watch out
- Not: _Vandaag regent._ Say: _Vandaag regent het._ (in a weather statement _het_ is required; after _Vandaag_ it follows the verb)
- Not: _Ik ben sorry._ Say: _Het spijt me._ (the standard phrase: _het_ is the subject, _me_ is the person who feels sorry)
- Not: _Hoe ben je?_ Say: _Hoe gaat het?_ (as a greeting, Dutch asks how "it" is going)
- Not: _Het geeft hier veel fietsen._ Say: _Er zijn hier veel fietsen._ (German "es gibt" is _er is_ or _er zijn_ in Dutch)
Quick check
- Fill in the gap: _Neem een paraplu mee, ... regent._
- This sentence is about the weather. Fix it by adding one word: _Vandaag is erg koud._
- Choose _Ik_, _Het_ or _Er_: _... spijt me dat ik je verjaardag ben vergeten._
- Fix the word order: _Het is jammer dat Bas komt niet._
Answers
- _het_ (a weather statement needs _het_ as its subject)
- _Vandaag is het erg koud._ (_het_ follows the verb but stays)
- _Het_ (the fixed phrase is _het spijt me_)
- _Het is jammer dat Bas niet komt._ (after _dat_, the verb goes to the end)
Use it today
The next time a neighbour, colleague or cashier mentions the weather, answer with a full sentence with _het_, like _Ja, het waait echt hard vandaag!_ Then ask _Hoe gaat het?_ and listen for the _het_ in their answer.