In Dutch, adjectives play a key role in descriptions, and they follow some straightforward rules for usage. Here’s a quick summary of common adjective rules and examples for basic descriptions.
Adjectives typically come before the noun they describe.
"een grote kat" (a big cat)
In Dutch, adjectives often take an -e ending depending on the noun's gender, number, and definiteness. The main rules are as follows:
If the noun is preceded by a definite article ("de" or "het") or is plural, add -e to the adjective.
Example with definite article: "de grote kat" (the big cat), "het grote huis" (the big house)
Example with plural nouns: "de grote katten" (the big cats)
Exceptions without -e:
When a singular "het" word (neuter) has an indefinite article (e.g., "een"), the adjective doesn’t take -e.
Example: "een groot huis" (a big house)
For example, "een klein kind" (a small child) vs. "het kleine kind" (the small child).
Some adjectives have no ending when they describe unmodified nouns in set expressions or have specific grammatical rules (less common for beginners).
Here’s a list of frequently used adjectives:
groot ----- big
klein ----- small
oud ----- old
nieuw ----- new
mooi ----- beautiful
lelijk ----- ugly
duur ----- expensive
goedkoop ----- cheap
snel ----- fast
langzaam ----- slow
warm ----- warm
koud ----- cold
hoog ----- high
laag ----- low
goed ----- good
slecht ----- bad
4. Examples of Simple Descriptions
Here are a few examples to illustrate these rules in sentences:
De mooie tuin - The beautiful garden.
Een kleine auto - A small car.
Het oude gebouw - The old building.
Een groot probleem - A big problem.
Adjectives can also be used with the verb "to be" (zijn) to describe someone or something. For instance:
"Het huis is groot." = "The house is big."
"Zij is mooi." = "She is beautiful."
"Het water is koud." = "The water is cold."