Breakdown of Van wie is die jas?
zijn
to be
wie
who
de jas
the coat
die
that / those (de-words and plurals)
van
from (possession, starting point) / made of
Questions & Answers about Van wie is die jas?
Why does the Dutch sentence use Van wie for "Whose"?
Dutch doesn't have a common, everyday single word for "whose". Instead, you literally ask "Of whom" (van wie). You will use this exact phrase anytime you ask who an object belongs to.
Why is it die jas instead of dat jas?
Jas is a de word (de jas). When you want to say "that" with a de word, you must use die. If you were talking about a het word, like het boek (the book), you would use dat (dat boek).
Can I say "Van wie jas is dat?" to match the English word order?
No, that won't work in Dutch. The question phrase Van wie must be followed immediately by the verb (is), and then the subject (die jas).
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