Dutch words almost never end in v or z on paper: you write f or s instead (loanwords like _quiz_ and _jazz_ are exceptions). When an ending like _-en_ or _-e_ follows, many of these words switch to v or z: _huis_ becomes _huizen_, _brief_ becomes _brieven_, _wolf_ becomes _wolven_. You can't always predict which words do this, so listen to the plural (the form for more than one) and learn it together with the word.
The pattern
At the end of a word, Dutch usually writes f or s, not v or z. When an ending that starts with a vowel follows, many words switch to v or z.
- Plurals with _-en_: _de brief_, _de brieven_; _de prijs_, _de prijzen_.
- Adjectives (describing words) with _-e_: _lief_, _lieve_; _boos_, _boze_.
- Verbs: _wij geven_, _ik geef_; _wij lezen_, _ik lees_.
- Endings that start with a consonant keep f and s: _hij leest_, _het huisje_, _het briefje_.
- After a short vowel, you usually double the letter instead: _de bus_, _de bussen_; _de les_, _de lessen_.
- Some words never switch: _de mens_, _de mensen_; _de fotograaf_, _de fotografen_.
Examples
| Ik woon in een klein huis, maar de huizen hier zijn duur. | I live in a small house, but the houses here are expensive. |
|---|---|
| Fatima heeft twee brieven van de gemeente gekregen. | Fatima has received two letters from the municipality. |
| Er lopen veel duiven op het perron. | Lots of pigeons are walking around on the platform. |
| In de supermarkt zijn de prijzen weer gestegen. | At the supermarket, prices have gone up again. |
| Ik lees de krant en de kinderen lezen een strip. | I read the paper and the children read a comic. |
| Joris geeft Lotte een lieve kaart voor haar verjaardag. | Joris gives Lotte a sweet card for her birthday. |
| Ahmed verhuist volgende week en zijn buren verhuizen ook. | Ahmed is moving next week and his neighbours are moving too. |
| Bas en Yara huren een huisje aan zee. | Bas and Yara are renting a little house by the sea. |
| Op de bruiloft waren twee fotografen. | There were two photographers at the wedding. |
Why it works this way
Put two fingers on your throat and say a long f, then a long v. The v buzzes. So does z, while s doesn't. Sounds with this buzz are called voiced.
At the end of a word, Dutch switches the buzz off, just like with [d and t](#/lesson/final-devoicing). The difference is spelling: _hond_ keeps its d on paper, but pairs like _huis_ and _huizen_ show the change in their letters, even when your ear barely hears it. Only a few borrowed words, like _de quiz_, end in z.
In words that switch, an ending that starts with a vowel brings the buzz back. That's why _huizen_ and _lieve_ have it, but _huisje_ and _leest_ don't. Long vowels follow the [open syllable rule](#/lesson/open-closed-syllables) at the same time: _de roos_, _de rozen_.
English does this too, in wolf and wolves or leaf and leaves, but only in a handful of words.
The singular (the form for one) won't tell you whether a word switches: _de prijs_ gives _de prijzen_, while _de mens_ gives _de mensen_. So listen to the plural. In the north and west of the Netherlands, v often sounds close to f and z close to s, so the difference can be small. Southern and Flemish speakers buzz more clearly. If your ear can't decide, check the plural once and learn the pair: _de brief, de brieven_.
Remember: v and z are shy. They hardly ever stand at the end of a word, but in many words they come back out as soon as a vowel ending gives them something to lean on.
Watch out
- Not: _de huisen_ Say: _de huizen_ (the s turns into z before _-en_)
- Not: _twee briefen_ Say: _twee brieven_ (f becomes v; German speakers often keep the f)
- Not: _Liefe Sanne,_ Say: _Lieve Sanne,_ (the _-e_ brings back the v, on every birthday card)
- Not: _Ik reiz graag._ Say: _Ik reis graag._ (the ik-form of _reizen_ ends in s)
- Not: _de fotograven_ Say: _de fotografen_ (some words keep their f, so check the plural)
Quick check
- Fill in the plural of _brief_: _Ik heb twee ... gestuurd._
- Choose: _De (huisen / huizen) in Utrecht zijn duur._
- Fix the sentence: _Wij lesen elke avond._
- Fill in the right form of _verhuizen_: _Sanne ... in juni naar Rotterdam._
Answers
- _brieven_ (f becomes v before _-en_)
- _huizen_ (s becomes z before _-en_)
- _Wij lezen elke avond._ (with _wij_ the verb ends in _-en_, and the z comes back)
- _verhuist_ (_-t_ is a consonant, so the s stays)
Use it today
Pick five nouns ending in f or s from your post, your street or your supermarket receipt, and look up their plurals. Say each pair out loud with two fingers on your throat, like _de brief, de brieven_, and feel where the buzz comes back.