Demonstrative pronoun - Aanwijzend voornaamwoord

Introduction

Demonstrative pronoun used independently

Independent demonstrative pronoun with zijn

Click here for self-correcting exercises on demontrative pronouns.

Introduction

Demonstrative pronouns are a type of pronoun which usually accompany a noun. They point out a specific person or thing. Their form depends on:

    - the gender of the noun they qualify
    - whether the person or thing is near or far relative to the speaker

     

    For example:
    Deze trui (de-word, near) is rood, maar die trui (de-word, far) is blauw.
    This jumper is red, but that jumper is blue.

    Dit meisje (het-word, near) heet Hanna, maar dat meisje (het-word, far) heet Simone.
    This girl is called Hanna, but that girl is called Simone.

    More schematically:

    		near far
    common (de-words) deze die
    neuter (het-words) dit dat

    Remember that all plurals are de-words:

    Dit meisje (het-word, near) heet Hanna, maar die meisjes (plural het-word, far) heten Karin en Simone.
    This girl is called Hanna, but those girls are called Karin and Simone.

    Dat kind (het-word, far) eet een pannenkoek, maar deze kinderen (plural het-word, near) eten poffertjes.
    That child eats a pancake, but those children eat ‘poffertjes'.

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Demonstrative pronoun used independently

Demonstrative pronouns can also occur independently (without the noun), but then they refer back to a noun which has been used earlier:

Heb je geen strippenkaart (de-word)? Je mag deze wel lenen.
Don't you have a transport ticket? You can borrow this one.

Heb je een fiets (de-word)? Ja, die heb ik.
Do you have a bicycle? Yes, I do have one.

Je ziet dan een plein (het-word). Dit steek je over.
You'll see a square. You cross this.

Het nieuwe boek (het-word) van Hermans? Dat heb ik net gelezen.
The new book by Hermans? I have just read that.

Remember that all plurals are de-words:

Ik houd meestal niet van pannenkoeken (plural de-word), maar deze vind ik wel lekker.
I don't usually like pancakes, but I do like these.

Wij hebben geen fietsen (plural het-word) meer. Die zijn vorige week gestolen.
We have no bicycles anymore. Those were stolen last week.

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Independent demonstrative pronoun with zijn

When used independently with the verb zijn (to be) the demonstrative pronoun behaves unexpectedly.

Only dit and dat are used, even when referring to plurals.

Dit is Hanna, en dat zijn haar buren.
This is Hanna, and those are her neighbours.

Dit zijn Simone en Karin, en dat is hun broertje.
These are Simone and Karin, and that is their little brother.

Dat was gezellig, hè?
That was nice, wasn't it?

Nederlanders houden van poffertjes. Dat zijn kleine, zoete pannenkoekjes.
Dutch people like ‘poffertjes'. Those are small, sweet pancakes.

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Click here to read more about demonstrative pronouns in the Advanced Dutch Grammar.