Formal "Whose" for Masculine and Neuter: wiens
In everyday spoken Dutch, you might say van wie to mean "whose." Formal written Dutch—especially in historical or official texts—often uses the relative pronouns wiens and wier.
Use wiens when the noun you are referring back to (the antecedent) is masculine or neuter singular.
| This is the man whose son is the founder of the company. | Dit is de man wiens zoon de stichter van het bedrijf is. |
| We saw the palace of the monarch whose army was powerful. | We zagen het paleis van de vorst wiens leger machtig was. |
Notice that het kind (the child) is a neuter noun, so it also takes wiens:
| They are looking for the child whose legitimate inheritance has simply disappeared. | Ze zoeken het kind wiens wettige erfenis zomaar is verdwenen. |
Formal "Whose" for Feminine and Plural: wier
If the antecedent is feminine or plural, use wier.
| The queen, whose dynasty is old, is visiting the castle. | De koningin, wier dynastie oud is, bezoekt het kasteel. |
| The queen, whose legitimate daughter will succeed her, is powerful. | De koningin, wier wettige dochter haar zal opvolgen, is machtig. |
Use wier for all plural antecedents, regardless of gender:
| The parents, whose children are sitting playing in the garden, are drinking coffee. | De ouders, wier kinderen in de tuin zitten te spelen, drinken koffie. |
| The brothers, whose inheritance is large, want to succeed the boss. | De broers, wier erfenis groot is, willen de baas opvolgen. |
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