The Dutch word for "a" and "an" is _een_. You put it before any singular countable noun (one thing you can count), whether that noun takes _de_ or _het_: _een fiets_ (a bike), _een huis_ (a house). It sounds like a quick "un" and has no plural. The number one is also _een_, but said with a long vowel, and written _één_ when the meaning could otherwise be unclear.
The pattern
Use _een_ for "a" or "an" before any singular countable noun. It stays the same for nouns with _de_ and nouns with _het_.
- _de fiets_ (the bike) becomes _een fiets_ (a bike).
- _het huis_ (the house) becomes _een huis_ (a house).
- Say _een_ (a) as a short, weak "un", not like "een" in English "seen". It is the neutral vowel from [The neutral e and the endings -en, -ig and -lijk](#/lesson/schwa-and-endings).
- The number one has a long vowel, like "ane" in "lane". It is often spelled _een_ too, but you write _één_, with accents, when a reader might otherwise read "a".
- More than one? Drop _een_: _een boek_ (a book), _boeken_ (books). See [Plurals with -en](#/lesson/plural-en).
Examples
| Ik heb een fiets. | I have a bike. |
|---|---|
| Priya woont in een huis bij het park. | Priya lives in a house near the park. |
| Joris eet een appel. | Joris is eating an apple. |
| Lotte heeft een kat en een konijn. | Lotte has a cat and a rabbit. |
| Mei leest een boek. | Mei is reading a book. |
| Mei leest boeken. | Mei reads books. |
| Ahmed heeft een zoon. | Ahmed has a son. |
| Ahmed heeft één zoon, niet twee. | Ahmed has one son, not two. |
| Het is één uur. | It is one o'clock. |
Why it works this way
The word _een_ started out as the number one. People used it so often and so lightly that it wore down into a small, unstressed word meaning "a". English did the same: "an" comes from an old word for "one".
That history explains the pattern. "A" means one thing, so it has no plural. And this little word never changes for _de_ or _het_, so you can say "a" correctly before you know a noun's article. If you speak German or Spanish, enjoy it: no "ein/eine", no "un/una". Still learn each noun with _de_ or _het_, because adjectives will need it later: _een groot huis_, _een grote fiets_.
Nouns you cannot count, like _geld_ (money) or _melk_ (milk), normally take no _een_; see [Countable and uncountable nouns](#/lesson/uncountable-nouns). In a café, _een koffie_ is fine, because you mean one cup. Dutch also drops _een_ in some places where English keeps "a", as in _Ik ben docent_ (I am a teacher): more in [When Dutch uses no article](#/lesson/no-article).
Remember: _een_ is a lazy _één_. Say it weak and it means "a"; say it long and you are counting. The accents are just a signal for readers when the meaning could be unclear.
Watch out
- Not: _Ik koop een appels_ Say: _Ik koop appels_ (_een_ has no plural)
- Not: _Ik heb fiets_ Say: _Ik heb een fiets_ (one countable thing needs a word in front; easy to forget if your language, like Arabic, has no separate word for "a")
- Not: _Ik heb een geld_ Say: _Ik heb geld_ (_geld_ cannot be counted)
- Not: _Het kost maar eén euro_ Say: _Het kost maar één euro_ (the number gets an accent on both letters e)
Quick check
- Choose the correct sentence: _Ik koop een appels_ or _Ik koop appels_?
- What does _Daan heeft één broer_ mean: "Daan has a brother" or "Daan has one brother"?
- Fix the sentence: _Bas heeft fiets._ (Bas has a bike.)
- _het raam_ means "the window". How do you say "a window"?
Answers
- _Ik koop appels._ (_een_ has no plural)
- "Daan has one brother" (the accents mark the number)
- _Bas heeft een fiets._ (one bike needs _een_)
- _een raam_ (nouns with _het_ also take _een_)
Use it today
At the supermarket, name five things in your basket under your breath with _een_: _een brood_, _een komkommer_, _een pak melk_. Then name one thing you bought more than one of, without _een_: _appels_.