Relative Pronouns in Dutch

Overview

Relative pronouns (betrekkelijke voornaamwoorden) let you combine sentences by referring back to a noun you just mentioned. In English, you use "who," "which," and "that." Dutch uses die, dat, and wat -- and the choice depends on the grammatical gender and number of the noun you are referring to.

At the A2 level, relative pronouns open the door to more natural and fluid Dutch. Instead of saying two short sentences like "I have a book. The book is interesting," you can say "I have a book that is interesting" (Ik heb een boek dat interessant is). This is a big step toward sounding more like a native speaker.

The key challenge is choosing between die and dat, which connects directly to something you already know: the de/het system. If you know whether a noun takes de or het, you already know which relative pronoun to use.

How It Works

Die vs. Dat

Antecedent	Relative Pronoun	Example
de-word (singular)	die	de man die daar staat
het-word (singular)	dat	het boek dat ik lees
Any plural noun	die	de boeken die ik lees

Simple rule: die for de-words and all plurals, dat for het-words (singular only).

Wat

Use wat (not die or dat) after:

• Indefinite pronouns: alles, niets, iets, veel, weinig
• A superlative used as a noun
• An entire clause as the antecedent

Pattern	Example	Translation
After alles	Alles wat hij zegt is waar.	Everything he says is true.
After niets	Er is niets wat ik kan doen.	There is nothing I can do.
After iets	Iets wat ik niet begrijp.	Something I don't understand.
After a clause	Hij is geslaagd, wat mij verbaast.	He passed, which surprises me.
After superlative	Het beste wat je kunt doen.	The best (thing) you can do.

Word Order in Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are subordinate clauses, so the verb goes to the end:

De man die daar staat is mijn vader. Het boek dat ik lees is interessant. De mensen die ik ken...

With Prepositions

When a preposition is involved, Dutch uses a pronominal adverb (waar + preposition) instead of a preposition + relative pronoun:

English	Dutch
the chair on which I sit	de stoel waarop ik zit
the city in which I live	de stad waarin ik woon
the thing about which I'm talking	het ding waarover ik praat

For people, you can use preposition + wie:

De man met wie ik praat. (The man with whom I'm talking.)

Examples in Context

Dutch	English	Note
De man die daar staat is mijn vader.	The man who stands there is my father.	de man = de-word, so die
Het boek dat ik lees is interessant.	The book that I'm reading is interesting.	het boek = het-word, so dat
Alles wat hij zegt is waar.	Everything he says is true.	After alles, use wat
De mensen die ik ken zijn aardig.	The people I know are nice.	Plural = die
Het meisje dat zingt is mijn zus.	The girl who sings is my sister.	het meisje = het-word
Dat is iets wat ik niet begrijp.	That's something I don't understand.	After iets, use wat
De stad waarin ik woon is groot.	The city in which I live is big.	Pronominal adverb waarin
De vrouw met wie ik werk is arts.	The woman with whom I work is a doctor.	Person + preposition = wie
Hij is geslaagd, wat mij verbaast.	He passed, which surprises me.	Referring to whole clause
De film die we gezien hebben was goed.	The film we saw was good.	de film = de-word, so die

Common Mistakes

Using Dat for De-Words

• Wrong: De man dat daar staat...
• Right: De man die daar staat...
• Why: Man is a de-word, so you must use die.

Using Die for Het-Words

• Wrong: Het kind die speelt...
• Right: Het kind dat speelt...
• Why: Kind is a het-word (singular), so you must use dat.

Using Die/Dat After Indefinite Pronouns

• Wrong: Alles dat hij zegt...
• Right: Alles wat hij zegt...
• Why: After alles, niets, iets, and similar indefinite pronouns, always use wat.

Forgetting Verb-Final Order

• Wrong: De man die staat daar is mijn vader.
• Right: De man die daar staat is mijn vader.
• Why: Relative clauses are subordinate clauses, so the verb goes to the end.

Usage Notes

The die/dat system works identically in the Netherlands and Belgium. One minor variation: in very informal spoken Dutch, some speakers use die for everything, even het-words. This is considered substandard and should be avoided in writing or formal speech.

The pronominal adverb construction (waarop, waarin, waarover) is standard. In spoken Dutch, you will sometimes hear the preposition separated: waar ik op zit instead of waarop ik zit. Both are acceptable, but the combined form is preferred in writing.

Practice Tips

• Practice with de/het lists: Pick ten de-words and ten het-words. Write a relative clause for each one. This reinforces both your article knowledge and pronoun choice simultaneously.
• Combine simple sentences: Take pairs of sentences and merge them using die, dat, or wat. For example: Ik heb een kat. De kat is zwart. becomes Ik heb een kat die zwart is.
• Listen for relative clauses: When watching Dutch media, notice how speakers use die and dat. You will hear these pronouns very frequently, giving you natural exposure to the pattern.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: De and Het Words — knowing whether a noun is a de-word or het-word determines which relative pronoun to use
• Next steps: Subordinate Clause Word Order — relative clauses follow the same verb-final pattern