Understanding Dutch Adjectives: Agreement and Placement

What Are Adjectives in Dutch?

Adjectives in Dutch, known as bijvoeglijke naamwoorden, are words used to describe or modify nouns. Understanding how to use these adjectives correctly involves learning about their agreement with the noun and their placement within a sentence.

Agreement of Dutch Adjectives

In Dutch, adjectives change based on the gender and number of the noun they describe, as well as on whether the noun is definite or indefinite. This is called adjective agreement.

Gender and Number Agreement

In Dutch, nouns are either common gender or neuter. Adjectives agree with these genders. For singular common gender nouns, the adjective often gets an '-e' ending. For example:

For plural nouns, adjectives generally receive the '-e' ending as well, irrespective of the gender. For example:

When the noun is preceded by a definite article ('de', 'het'), the adjective takes an '-e' for both genders.

Definite vs. Indefinite

Adjectives in Dutch also agree on definiteness. With a definite article ('de', 'het'), an adjective will end with '-e'. For an indefinite noun ('een' or without an article), adjectives for neuter singular nouns do not get an '-e' ending. Examples include:

However, for a neuter singular noun with an indefinite article, the adjective does not get the '-e' ending, as seen in:

Placement of Dutch Adjectives

In Dutch, adjectives are generally placed before the noun they describe, similar to English. However, in predicative sentences, adjectives appear after the verb. For example:

Exceptions and Variations

There are exceptions to the general rules of adjective placement and agreement in Dutch, particularly with certain fixed expressions and idiomatic phrases. Exposure and practice are key to mastering these.