Learn Hardcore Dutch: De reden blijft onbekend.

De is the definite article for singular common-gender nouns in Dutch. It corresponds to the in English. Most Dutch nouns take de, while a smaller set of neuter nouns takes het.

Why is it de and not het before reden?

Dutch nouns are divided into two grammatical genders: common (de-words) and neuter (het-words). Reden is a common-gender noun, so it always uses de. There’s no reliable rule to predict gender—you simply learn which nouns are de-words and which are het-words.

What does reden mean, and what part of speech is it?

Reden is a noun meaning reason (or sometimes cause). It’s singular here; its plural would be redenen (reasons).

What is blijft, and why does it end in -t?

Blijft is the third-person singular present tense of the verb blijven (to remain/stay). In Dutch, most verbs add -t for the hij/zij/het (he/she/it) form in the present tense:
• ik blijf (I remain)
• jij blijft (you remain)
• hij/zij/het blijft (he/she/it remains)

What does onbekend mean, and how is it formed?

Onbekend is an adjective meaning unknown. It’s built from the prefix on- (not) plus bekend (known). Here it functions as a predicate adjective: the sentence says that the reason “remains unknown.”

Could I also say De reden is onbekend instead of De reden blijft onbekend?

Yes, De reden is onbekend (The reason is unknown) is grammatically correct. The difference is nuance:

is onbekend simply states the current fact that the reason is unknown.
blijft onbekend emphasizes that it still remains unknown over time.

Why isn’t reden capitalized like German nouns?

In Dutch, only proper names and the first word of a sentence are capitalized. Common nouns like reden stay lowercase, so you write De reden blijft onbekend, not De Reden….