Time references with dat
When referring to a specific period of time—such as a day, month, or year—you use a relative clause to give more information about it. While you can use prepositional pronouns like waarop (on which) or waarin (in which), Dutch speakers usually prefer a simpler option: the word dat (that).
Because a relative clause is a type of subordinate clause, verbs inside it are pushed to the end.
| The day that you got married is an unforgettable milestone. | De dag dat jullie zijn getrouwd, is een onvergetelijke mijlpaal. |
| I often think back to the year that my student days started. | Ik denk vaak terug aan het jaar dat mijn studententijd is begonnen. |
Reminiscing about milestones
This structure is perfect for looking back (terugdenken) at an unforgettable milestone (een onvergetelijke mijlpaal), such as your wedding day or your student days.
| The year that we organized the wedding day has always stayed with me. | Het jaar dat we de trouwdag hebben georganiseerd, is mij altijd bijgebleven. |
| Why has the month that your student days ended stayed with you? | Waarom is de maand dat jouw studententijd is geëindigd, jou bijgebleven? |
Phases of life
You can also use dat for broader periods of time, like a precious phase of life (een dierbare levensfase). As time passes (verstrijken), dat helps you express exactly which moments have stayed with you (bijblijven).
| Sometimes I think back to the precious phase of life that we studied together. | Soms denk ik terug aan de dierbare levensfase dat wij samen studeerden. |
| The day that the unforgettable wedding day had been planned, has stayed with him well. | De dag dat de onvergetelijke trouwdag was gepland, is hem goed bijgebleven. |
