De or Het? Dutch Article Practice
Dutch nouns take de or het, and there's no single rule that predicts it for every word. Learn the patterns that do exist, then drill the exceptions until they're automatic.
Practice De/Het Now
Choose the correct article for 1500+ Dutch nouns, sorted by frequency. Free, no account needed.
Why de/het is hard for learners
Dutch has two grammatical genders that both use different articles: de for common-gender nouns, het for neuter nouns. About two-thirds of nouns take de. There are useful patterns (word endings, categories like diminutives or metals), but many common words are simple exceptions you have to memorize. Spaced repetition works well here: you see words you get wrong more often, until they stick.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between de and het in Dutch?+
They're both forms of 'the'. De is used for common-gender nouns (about two-thirds of all Dutch nouns) and het is used for neuter nouns. The choice affects other words in the sentence, like adjective endings and demonstratives.
Is there a rule for de or het?+
There's no single rule that covers every noun, but there are patterns: certain endings and categories (diminutives, sports, metals, and others) reliably take one or the other. See the article rules guide for the full list.
How many Dutch nouns are there in this quiz?+
Over 1500 nouns, ranked by how common they are, so you can start with the words you'll actually use most.
Is the de/het quiz free?+
Yes, it's free with no account required.