Languages, De or het?

All languages take het.

Engels - English

 Fraans - French

Spaans - Spanish

Italiaans - Italian

Turks - Turkish

Grieks - Greek

Nederlands - Dutch

!

(de) taal - language

(de) talen - languages

Welke taal/talen spreek jij? - What language/Which languages do you speak?

Ik spreek.... - I speak.

Ik spreek Engels en (een beetje) Nederlands. - I speak English and (a little) Dutch.

Spreek jij....? - Do you speak....?

De or het?

All diminuitives i.e. words that end in -je use het.

Het meisje - The girl.

Het stoeltje - The little chair.

Although diminuitives are used in English to indicate that something is small, this is not always the case in Dutch. The Dutch add -je to a word to express that something is pleasant and nice. It is always a very positive thing.

Someone may tell you that they love your huisje. What they are saying is that they think your house has a cosy and pleasant atmosphere.

De or het?

Almost* all forms of transport use de.

de fiets - bike.

de tram - tram.
de bus - the bus.

*Exceptions to this rule

het vliegtuig - airplane.

het schip - the ship.