Most Dutch nouns are de-words, but some kinds of noun point clearly to _het_. A singular diminutive (the small form ending in _-je_) is always a het-word, and so is a verb used as a noun: _het huisje_, _het zwemmen_. Many words starting with _ge-_, _be-_, _ver-_ or _ont-_, most words ending in _-isme_, _-ment_ or _-um_, and the names of languages and metals are het-words too, but those are strong tendencies, not laws.
The pattern
In the singular, diminutives and verbs used as nouns are always het-words. Some beginnings, endings and word groups make _het_ very likely.
- Diminutives, always in the singular: _het huisje_, _het kopje_, even from a de-word (_de tafel_, _het tafeltje_). In the plural they take _de_, like every plural: _de huisjes_. See [how to make them](#/lesson/diminutives).
- Infinitives (the full dictionary form of a verb) used as nouns, always: _het eten_, _het zwemmen_, _het wachten_.
- The prefixes (unstressed word starts) _ge-_, _be-_, _ver-_ and _ont-_, often, especially in short nouns: _het gesprek_, _het gevoel_, _het begin_, _het verhaal_, _het ontbijt_. Common exceptions: _de gemeente_, _de gedachte_, _de gewoonte_, _de verkoop_.
- The endings _-isme_ and _-ment_, nearly always: _het toerisme_, _het moment_, _het appartement_.
- The ending _-um_, mostly: _het museum_, _het centrum_, _het visum_. The big exception is _de datum_.
- Names of languages and metals: _het Nederlands_, _het Engels_, _het goud_, _het ijzer_.
Examples
| Het huisje van Daan staat naast het station. | Daan's little house is next to the station. |
|---|---|
| Het meisje van de buren heet Yara. | The girl next door is called Yara. |
| Het eten staat al op tafel. | The food is already on the table. |
| Het zwemmen begint om half acht. | Swimming starts at half past seven. |
| Sanne heeft morgen het gesprek met haar manager. | Sanne has the talk with her manager tomorrow. |
| Het ontbijt bij Priya is altijd gezellig. | Breakfast at Priya's is always cosy. |
| Emma zit op dit moment in de trein. | Emma is on the train at the moment. |
| Fatima gaat zondag naar het museum. | Fatima is going to the museum on Sunday. |
| Het Nederlands van Carlos wordt steeds beter. | Carlos's Dutch keeps getting better. |
| Is het goud van deze ring echt? | Is the gold in this ring real? |
Why it works this way
The article belongs to the word, not to the thing it names. A table and a house are both objects, yet it is _de tafel_ and _het huis_. One and the same girl is _het meisje_ and _de dochter_. So meaning will not tell you the article. The form of the word often will.
Here is the model: the end of a noun is the boss. A diminutive ending makes a singular noun a het-word, even when it refers to a person: _het meisje_. You can still refer to the girl with _zij_. Endings such as _-isme_, _-ment_ and _-um_ usually bring _het_ as well. A whole infinitive used as a noun is a het-word: _het fietsen_.
When there is no telling ending, look at the start. A real prefix is one you don't stress: _geSPREK_, _verHAAL_. In _de bezem_ (the broom) you stress _be_, so it is not a prefix and gives no clue. If a word has both a prefix and a de-ending, the ending wins: _het verhaal_ but _de vergadering_, _het bezoek_ but _de bestelling_.
The same idea explains [compound nouns](#/lesson/compound-gender): the last part decides. The [de-word clues](#/lesson/de-word-patterns) come in the next lesson.
Remember: the end of a word beats the beginning. A singular diminutive means _het_, even in _het meisje_, and _-ing_ means _de_, even in _de vergadering_.
Watch out
- Not: _de meisje_ Say: _het meisje_ (every singular diminutive is het, even for a person)
- Not: _de tafeltje_ Say: _het tafeltje_ (the _-tje_ decides, not _de tafel_)
- Not: _het vergadering_ Say: _de vergadering_ (_-ing_ beats _ver-_)
- Not: _op deze moment_ Say: _op dit moment_ (_moment_ is a het-word, so _dit_)
- Not: _het datum_ Say: _de datum_ (the best-known _-um_ exception)
Quick check
- Fill in _de_ or _het_: _... kopje koffie is nog warm._
- Fill in _de_ or _het_: _... gesprek met de huisarts duurt tien minuten._
- Fix the sentence: _De museum is op maandag dicht._
- Choose _de_ or _het_: _Wat is ... datum van de vergadering?_
Answers
- _Het_ (_kopje_ is a diminutive, so _de kop_ no longer counts)
- _Het_ (_gesprek_ starts with the unstressed prefix _ge-_)
- _Het museum is op maandag dicht._ (most _-um_ words are het-words)
- _de_ (_datum_ is the famous _-um_ exception)
Use it today
In the supermarket today, find three products with a diminutive name, like _een broodje_ or _een koekje_, and say them out loud with _het_. Then pick one word starting with _ge-_, _be-_, _ver-_ or _ont-_ from a sign or letter, guess its article, and check it in a dictionary.