The relative pronoun "wat"
To express ideas like "the tastiest thing" or "the most absurd thing", Dutch turns a superlative adjective into a neuter noun. You do this by placing het before the superlative and adding an -e to the end (for example, het lekkerste).
When you want to refer back to this superlative with a relative pronoun (meaning "that" or "which"), you must use wat.
| This is the tastiest thing we have eaten! | Dit is het lekkerste wat we hebben gegeten! |
Even though regular neuter nouns usually take dat as a relative pronoun, these nominalized superlatives always take wat. This structure is perfect for sharing strong opinions and reviews.
| That is the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted. | Dat is het walgelijkste wat ik ooit heb geproefd. |
| The most brilliant thing the director did was change the music. | Het geniaalste wat de regisseur deed, was de muziek veranderen. |
Expressing criticism
You will see this grammar pattern often when writing critical reviews of movies or restaurants using strong adjectives.
| The lamest thing he said was a bad joke. | Het flauwste wat hij zei, was een slechte grap. |
| It was the most predictable thing the actor ever did. | Het was het voorspelbaarste wat de acteur ooit deed. |
Regular nouns still use "dat"
Remember that this rule only applies to superlatives and a few other indefinite words (like alles or iets). When you refer back to a regular neuter noun (a het word), you still use dat.
| It was the acting that made the movie fantastic. | Het was het acteerwerk dat de film fantastisch maakte. |