Back
Advanced

Word Formation & Compounds

Building long words

Compounds are written as one word

Dutch joins nouns into a single word.

💬 Examples
tand + arts = tandarts
tooth + doctor = dentist
📝 Compound noun
ziekenhuis
hospital (sick-house)
📝 zieken + huis
The last part sets the gender

A compound takes the article and core meaning of its final element.

📊 Compound logic
Parts Compound Article from
tand + arts tandarts arts (de)
ziek + huis ziekenhuis huis (het)
boek + kast boekenkast kast (de)
💬 Examples
deur + slot = het deurslot
door + lock = the door-lock
📝 Gender from slot (a het-word)
boek + kast = de boekenkast
book + cabinet = the bookcase
📝 kast is a de-word → de
Linking sounds -s- and -en-

Compounds often insert a linking -s- or -en-.

💬 Examples
stad + centrum = stadscentrum
city + centre = city centre
📝 Linking -s-
boek + kast = boekenkast
book + cabinet = bookcase
📝 Linking -en-