Demonstrative Pronouns (deze, die, dit, dat)

Dutch has four demonstrative pronouns: deze, die, dit, dat. The choice depends on two factors:

1. The article of the noun — de-word or het-word
2. The distance from the speaker — near (this) or far (that)

Combined, this gives a four-way split that English flattens into two (this/that). Once you have the article system, demonstratives are easy: match the article and the distance.

The four-way table

So the demonstrative depends on:

• de word? → deze (near) or die (far)
• het word? → dit (near) or dat (far)
• Plural? → deze (near) or die (far), regardless of singular article

Examples

deze boom — this tree (de boom, near) die boom — that tree (de boom, far) dit huis — this house (het huis, near) dat huis — that house (het huis, far)

In the plural, the de/het distinction disappears (just like plural articles all become de):

deze bomen / deze huizen — these trees / these houses die bomen / die huizen — those trees / those houses

As adjectives — sit before the noun

deze man, deze vrouw, deze kinderen dat boek, die boeken

The demonstrative is also where any adjective after it takes the -e ending (because the demonstrative makes the noun definite). See bijvoeglijke-naamwoorden.

deze grote boom — adjective takes -e dit grote huis — adjective takes -e (demonstrative makes het-word definite)

As pronouns — stand alone

The four words also stand alone, replacing the noun.

Deze is mooi. — This (de-word) is beautiful. Dit is goed. — This (het-word or abstract) is good. Die zijn duur. — Those are expensive. (de-words or plural) Dat is groot. — That (het-word or abstract) is big.

When the demonstrative stands alone, it can also refer to abstract ideas, statements, or unidentified things:

Wat is dat? — What is that? (you don’t know what it is yet) Dat is mooi. — That is beautiful. (referring to the previous statement or scene)

In these abstract uses, Dutch always uses dit/dat (neuter), regardless of what the antecedent would be. This is similar to French cela/ça.

Identification: “this is” / “that is”

For introducing or identifying people and things, Dutch uses dit is (this is) or dat is (that is), even when the person identified would normally take a different pronoun:

Dit is mijn broer. — This is my brother. (broer is a de-word, but introduction uses dit) Dat is de Rijksmuseum. — That is the Rijksmuseum. Wie zijn dat? — Who are those? (asking about people in plural — still dat is/zijn)

This is the dat-of-identification — neuter regardless of what’s being identified. It mirrors the French c’est and Italian è constructions.

Distance is flexible

The near/far distinction is not strictly physical. Dit/deze can mean “the one I’m currently mentioning” and dat/die can mean “the one we already talked about” — even if both are equidistant:

Heb je dit boek gelezen? Ik vond dat erg interessant. Have you read this book? I found that very interesting. (dat referring back to a previously mentioned topic)

This temporal/contextual distance is common in spoken Dutch.

Demonstratives + relative pronouns

A common Dutch construction is die…die or dat…dat — the demonstrative + the relative pronoun side by side.

Die man die daar staat is mijn vader. That man who is standing there is my father.

Yes, both die — the first is the demonstrative (that man), the second is the relative pronoun (who). They look identical but do different jobs.

The same with dat:

Dat boek dat ik gisteren kocht… That book that I bought yesterday…

See betrekkelijke-voornaamwoorden for the relative-pronoun side.

Distance qualifiers

Dutch can add hier (here) or daar (there) for extra clarity or emphasis:

deze boom hier — this tree here die boom daar — that tree there

These qualifiers are optional but common in conversation when you’re pointing or distinguishing among multiple items.

Diegene/datgene and degene/hetgene — the formal “the one”

For “the one who/that,” Dutch uses:

Degene die het weet, krijgt een prijs. — The one who knows gets a prize. Hetgeen ik zeg is waar. — What I’m saying is true.

These are more formal than the basic die/dat and appear mostly in writing.

What you don’t need to do

You don’t need to memorise the four-way table by rote. After a few weeks of reading, the de/het split aligns naturally with deze/dit.

You don’t need to use diegene/degene in casual speech. Die and dat cover most relative-with-demonstrative jobs.

You don’t need to translate every English “this/that” the same way. The Dutch four-way split forces you to think about article and distance.

Common confusions

• Deze vs. dit isn’t about gender; it’s about the article. Deze tafel (because de tafel). Dit boek (because het boek).
• Plurals always use deze/die. No dit/dat in plural.
• Dat is… for identification. Dat is mijn broer (introducing a person), even though broer is a de-word.
• Die and die: demonstrative + relative. Die man die daar staat — first die is “that man,” second die is “who.”

Where you’ll meet it in the library

Demonstratives are in every Dutch dialogue and descriptive passage. Especially visible in:

• The Low Countries (A2+) — Storica’s history book constantly refers back to centuries, kings, events. Deze eeuw, die periode, dat tijdperk, dit moment — temporal demonstratives are everywhere.
• Any Dutch museum guide or travel writing. Identifying paintings, buildings, places: Dat schilderij, deze kerk, die toren, dit gebouw. The pointing-and-identifying use is constant.