Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "dat" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce dat in Dutch?

dat is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /dɑt/. It means “that.” daht — open "ah" vowel, unaspirated t. Not the flat vowel of English "that."

daht — open "ah" vowel, unaspirated t. Not the flat vowel of English "that."

dat /dɑt/

Two different words share this spelling. As a conjunction ("that" introducing a clause) it is unstressed and slips by; as a demonstrative ("that one") it takes a full beat. In the example sentence it is the unstressed conjunction, so it should be quick and light.

Listen: dat

Free browser voice. Hear it read by a real native speaker inside the LingoDrop app.

Sound it out

d Voiced and made against the upper teeth, a shade further forward than English d.

a Made at the back of the mouth and cut short. English "that" uses a much flatter, more forward vowel; Dutch wants a quick "ah."

t Released cleanly without the puff English adds. It is also the sound that distinguishes this word from "dan" and "dag" — worth keeping sharp.

Hear it in a sentence

Ik weet dat je gelijk hebt.

I know that you're right.

Listen: Ik weet dat je gelijk hebt.

Free browser voice. Hear it read by a real native speaker inside the LingoDrop app.

"Ik weet dat je gelijk hebt" is a textbook subordinate clause: once "dat" appears, the verb "hebt" is banished to the very end. Say it with the melody falling across "dat je gelijk" and picking up only on "hebt," which is where the sentence resolves.

Where English speakers slip

The English word "that" sits right underneath this spelling and drags the vowel forward into the flat American "a." Dutch needs it open and back. Grammatically, learners also forget that Dutch "dat" as a conjunction is never optional the way English "that" is — you cannot say "ik weet je gelijk hebt."