Dutch has two ways to say who owns something. This lesson teaches the main one: van. The next lesson adds the shorter -s form for names and family members.
The Default Possessive: van
Where English says "my brother's bike", Dutch normally turns it around: the bike of my brother — de fiets van mijn broer. This is the standard pattern for any full noun.
| My brother's bike is new. | De fiets van mijn broer is nieuw. |
| My father's car is big. | De auto van mijn vader is groot. |
| My grandma's house is small. | Het huis van mijn oma is klein. |
It also connects things to things, exactly like English "of":
| I am looking for the key of the car. | Ik zoek de sleutel van de auto. |
| My mother's bag is lying on the table. | De tas van mijn moeder ligt op de tafel. |
Asking Whose: Van wie?
To ask who the owner is, start the question with van wie (literally "of whom"):
| Whose bike is this? | Van wie is deze fiets? |
| Whose coat is that? | Van wie is die jas? |
| That coat is my sister's. | Die jas is van mijn zus. |
Mine and Yours: van + Object Pronoun
The shortest answer uses van plus an object pronoun: van mij (mine), van jou (yours).
| That bike is mine. | Die fiets is van mij. |
| Is this book yours? | Is dit boek van jou? |
Looking Ahead
In the next lesson you will meet the second pattern — vaders auto — a shortcut that works only for names and family words. When in doubt, van is always correct.
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