Questions & Answers about Dit is de derde les.
Why is it dit and not deze?
Both dit and deze can mean this, but they are used differently.
- dit is a demonstrative pronoun: it stands on its own.
- Dit is de derde les. = This is the third lesson.
- deze is a demonstrative determiner: it comes before a noun.
- Deze les is moeilijk. = This lesson is difficult.
So in Dit is de derde les, dit is correct because it is not directly attached to a noun.
Why is there de before derde les?
In Dutch, nouns take either de or het as their definite article.
- de les = the lesson
- not het les
Since les is a de-word, you say:
- de derde les = the third lesson
The ordinal derde does not change the article. The noun still keeps its normal article.
Why is it derde and not drie?