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Is it true Dutch has lost its genders?

  Tags: Gender | Dutch
 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages Post Reply
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COF
Senior Member
United States
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 Message 1 of 10
18 April 2012 at 2:43pm | IP Logged 
I have read that in informal speech, "Het" isn't used anymore, the Dutch just use "de" for everything?

Is this true? To what extent has this happened? Is it all over the Netherlands or just parts?
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Cabaire
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Germany
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 Message 2 of 10
18 April 2012 at 2:59pm | IP Logged 
I think that in the north the feminine nouns are lost.
They say: "De koe, HIJ geeft milk." In the south, words like "kat", "jeugd", "wet", "parochie","de bakkerij" are still "zij": "De koe, ZIJ geeft milk".
About a weakening of neutral nouns I have never heard before. But ask better native speakers.
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Martinovich
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Netherlands
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 Message 3 of 10
18 April 2012 at 3:08pm | IP Logged 
As far as I know, this isn't true. I still use 'het huis', 'het boek', 'het kind' in my everyday speech. And I don't think I've encountered any native speaker using "de" instead of "het".

But I wouldn't rule out that in some dialects they don't use "de" any more.
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Hekje
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 Message 4 of 10
18 April 2012 at 4:11pm | IP Logged 
I am not sure, not being a native speaker, but when living in Utrecht last fall I did not notice anything of the sort you
are describing. On the contrary, people would often correct my genders if I made a mistake. It seemed obvious that
it attracted attention.

Of course I also do not rule out small dialects having their own rules.
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jintro
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Belgium
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 Message 5 of 10
18 April 2012 at 4:21pm | IP Logged 
I can't speak for the Netherlands but in Belgian-Dutch they are not disappearing. It is true that newer learners of the language have problems with gender (de/het and related die/dat), so it is common with immegrant populations to confuse the two. Generally the confusion disapears with the second generation.

De lack of genders is however part of the cité-slang in the Limburg mining region. But that doesn't influence language used in formal occasions (work etc.).

Edited by jintro on 18 April 2012 at 4:22pm

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nimchimpsky
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 Message 6 of 10
18 April 2012 at 5:45pm | IP Logged 
COF wrote:
I have read that in informal speech, "Het" isn't used anymore, the Dutch just use "de" for everything?

Is this true? To what extent has this happened? Is it all over the Netherlands or just parts?


It extends only to ethnic minorities and second language learners.


3 persons have voted this message useful



ReQuest
Tetraglot
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Netherlands
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 Message 7 of 10
18 April 2012 at 6:02pm | IP Logged 
nimchimpsky wrote:
COF wrote:
I have read that in informal speech, "Het" isn't used anymore, the Dutch just use "de" for everything?

Is this true? To what extent has this happened? Is it all over the Netherlands or just parts?


It extends only to ethnic minorities and second language learners.



I can confirm this ;)
4 persons have voted this message useful



tarvos
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 Message 8 of 10
19 April 2012 at 1:02pm | IP Logged 
Definitely isn't true, although the wigga yout would like to think it is :)


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