Dutch turns verbs and adjectives into nouns in a few regular ways. You can use a verb as it is (_het lezen_, reading), or add an ending: _-ing_, _-heid_, _-te_ or _-er_. Even better, the ending tells you the article: a bare verb always takes _het_, and the four endings in this lesson always take _de_.
The pattern
A bare infinitive used as a noun takes _het_; a noun made with _-ing_, _-heid_, _-te_ or _-er_ takes _de_.
- Infinitive (the dictionary form of a verb): _lezen_ gives _het lezen_, the activity of reading.
- Verb plus _-ing_: _opleiden_ gives _de opleiding_ (training course), _betalen_ gives _de betaling_ (payment).
- Adjective plus _-heid_: _vrij_ gives _de vrijheid_ (freedom). The plural ends in _-heden_.
- Adjective plus _-te_, mostly for measures: _lang_ gives _de lengte_, _breed_ gives _de breedte_, _hoog_ gives _de hoogte_.
- Verb plus _-er_ for a person: _bakken_ gives _de bakker_. For most nouns in _-ing_ and _-er_, you drop the _-en_ of the infinitive and add the ending: _lezen_ gives _de lezer_, _wonen_ gives _de woning_.
- _-aar_ instead of _-er_: verbs ending in an unstressed _-eren_, _-elen_ or _-enen_ usually take _-aar_: _luisteren_ (stress on _luis_) gives _de luisteraar_, _wandelen_ gives _de wandelaar_.
- _-der_ instead of _-er_: when a long vowel comes before _-ren_, you usually add _-der_ to the _ik_-form: _huren_ (_ik huur_) gives _de huurder_, _parkeren_ (_ik parkeer_) gives _de parkeerder_. A well-known exception is _leren_, which gives _de leraar_. When a form is new to you, check a dictionary.
Examples
| Daan merkt dat het lezen van Nederlandse kranten steeds makkelijker gaat. | Daan notices that reading Dutch newspapers is getting easier. |
|---|---|
| Het betalen bij de zelfscankassa gaat heel snel. | Paying at the self-checkout is very quick. |
| De betaling is mislukt, dus Emma probeert het nog een keer. | The payment failed, so Emma tries again. |
| Sanne volgt een opleiding tot verpleegkundige. | Sanne is training to become a nurse. |
| Sinds Yara kan fietsen, geniet ze van de vrijheid om overal zelf naartoe te gaan. | Since Yara learned to cycle, she enjoys the freedom to go anywhere on her own. |
| Bij de huisarts hebben ze mijn lengte en mijn gewicht gemeten. | At the GP's, they measured my height and my weight. |
| Joris werkt al twintig jaar als bakker in Utrecht. | Joris has worked as a baker in Utrecht for twenty years. |
| Ahmed is een snelle lezer, maar een langzame schrijver. | Ahmed is a fast reader but a slow writer. |
Why it works this way
Think of the ending as the boss of the word. Just as [the last part of a compound decides the article](#/lesson/compound-gender), the ending decides here. A bare infinitive adds nothing, and Dutch treats verbs used as nouns as neuter, so they take _het_.
The infinitive names the activity, like English reading or paying. The _-ing_ noun usually names something more fixed: an event, a result or an object. Compare _het betalen_ (the act of paying) with _de betaling_ (the payment), or _het verwarmen_ (heating something) with _de verwarming_ (the heating in your house). Only the infinitive works for almost every verb. The other endings make fixed words, so _zwemming_ and _fietsing_ do not exist. When in doubt, use the infinitive with _het_.
_-heid_ turns a quality into a thing, a bit like English -ness: _gezond_ (healthy) gives _de gezondheid_ (health). German speakers: it ends in d, not t.
_-te_ copies a pattern English has too: length, width, depth, height. Of these four measure words, only _lang_ changes its vowel, and _de lengte_ is also the normal word for how tall a person is. _-er_ is as easy as English baker; the female forms come in the [next lesson](#/lesson/male-female-forms).
Remember: bare verb, _het_. Verb or adjective plus an ending, _de_.
Watch out
- Not: _De koken voor tien mensen kost veel tijd._ Say: _Het koken voor tien mensen kost veel tijd._ (an infinitive used as a noun always takes _het_)
- Not: _Ik hou van zwemming._ Say: _Ik hou van zwemmen._ (English -ing becomes a Dutch infinitive)
- Not: _De grote van de kamer is prima._ Say: _De grootte van de kamer is prima._ (_groot_ plus _-te_ gives two t's)
- Not: _Er zijn twee mogelijkheids._ Say: _Er zijn twee mogelijkheden._ (the plural of _-heid_ is _-heden_)
- Not: _Bas is een goede luisterer._ Say: _Bas is een goede luisteraar._ (an unstressed _-eren_ verb usually takes _-aar_)
Quick check
- Fill in _de_ or _het_: _... wandelen in het bos is goed voor je._
- Make a noun from _veilig_: _De gemeente wil de ... op dit fietspad verbeteren._
- Choose: _Op het bord staat de (diepheid / diepte) van het zwembad: 1,80 meter._
- Fix the sentence: _Carlos is een snelle fietsing._
Answers
- _Het_: an infinitive used as a noun always takes _het_.
- _veiligheid_: adjective plus _-heid_ names the quality.
- _diepte_: measures use _-te_, and _diepheid_ is not used.
- _Carlos is een snelle fietser._: a person who does something gets _-er_.
Use it today
Take one letter or email you received in Dutch this week, perhaps from your energy company or _de gemeente_, and underline every noun ending in _-ing_ or _-heid_. Say each one aloud with _de_, then name the verb or adjective hiding inside it.