de of het denkvermogen?
het denkvermogen
mind
noun · /ˈdɛŋkvərˌmoːɣə(n)/
It is “het denkvermogen”. The plural is “de denkvermogens”, and like every Dutch plural it takes “de”.
Pronunciation, example sentences and the rest of the entry: denkvermogen
Forms
- Article
- het denkvermogen
- Plural
- de denkvermogens
- Also means
- intellect, thinking ability
- How common
- in everyday Dutch
In a sentence
Lezen stimuleert het denkvermogen.
Reading stimulates the mind.
Een gezond denkvermogen is essentieel.
A healthy mind is essential.
Haar denkvermogen was uitzonderlijk scherp.
Her mind was exceptionally sharp.
Why this article
No rule predicts it
This one has to be memorised. No spelling pattern marks it as neuter, which is exactly why it is worth learning as “het denkvermogen” rather than as “denkvermogen” on its own.
The rules that do work
- • Every plural takes “de”, without exception.
- • Every diminutive ending in -je takes “het”, without exception.
- • Nouns ending in -ing, -heid, -tie, -teit or -schap take “de”.
- • Roughly two thirds of all nouns take “de”, so it is the better guess.
Other nouns whose article has to be memorised
Stop guessing de and het
Woordje has a practice mode for exactly this: it shows a noun and asks for the article, and keeps asking until you stop getting it wrong.