Bedeutung
Asking to identify someone.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The Dutch are known for being direct. Asking 'Wie is dat?' is a normal part of social curiosity, but pointing your finger while doing it is considered rude. In Flanders, people might use 'Wie is dat?' but often add 'zeg' (say) at the end to make it sound more conversational and less abrupt. In the multicultural context of the Randstad, you might hear 'Wie is die?' more often due to the influence of Sranan Tongo or other languages on informal Dutch. On Dutch TikTok or Instagram, 'Wie is dit?' is often used as a meme when someone famous does something unexpected or when a 'nobody' goes viral.
The 'W' Secret
Don't round your lips for the 'W'. If you do, it sounds English. Touch your teeth to your lip for a true Dutch sound.
Avoid 'Wat'
Calling a person 'wat' is a common beginner mistake that sounds quite rude to native speakers.
Bedeutung
Asking to identify someone.
The 'W' Secret
Don't round your lips for the 'W'. If you do, it sounds English. Touch your teeth to your lip for a true Dutch sound.
Avoid 'Wat'
Calling a person 'wat' is a common beginner mistake that sounds quite rude to native speakers.
Pointing
If you must point, use your whole hand or just a glance. A single finger is often seen as 'niet netjes' (not neat/polite).
Answering
Always answer with 'Dat is...' even if you are a woman or a man. 'Dat' is the neutral starting point for identification.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct question word for a person.
___ is dat? Dat is mijn leraar.
We use 'Wie' because we are asking about a person (a teacher).
Which sentence is the correct way to ask 'Who is that?' in Dutch?
Select the correct option:
In Dutch questions, the verb 'is' must come after the question word 'wie'.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
You see a new student in your class and want to know their name.
'Wie is dat?' is used to identify people.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Kijk naar die foto! B: ______ A: Dat is mijn opa.
The answer 'Dat is mijn opa' indicates the question was about a person's identity.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Proximity: Dit vs Dat
Aufgabensammlung
4 Aufgaben___ is dat? Dat is mijn leraar.
We use 'Wie' because we are asking about a person (a teacher).
Select the correct option:
In Dutch questions, the verb 'is' must come after the question word 'wie'.
You see a new student in your class and want to know their name.
'Wie is dat?' is used to identify people.
A: Kijk naar die foto! B: ______ A: Dat is mijn opa.
The answer 'Dat is mijn opa' indicates the question was about a person's identity.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
12 FragenYes, if the dog is treated as a family member or a 'personified' being, it's very common to ask 'Wie is dat?'.
'Dit' is for people very close to you (like in a photo you are holding), 'dat' is for people further away.
Grammatically, 'Wie zijn dat?' is correct for plural, but in casual speech, you might hear 'Wie is dat?' used for a group.
You usually say 'Dat is [Name]' or 'Dat is mijn [Relationship]'.
No, it's a neutral question. However, your tone and whether you are pointing can make it feel more or less polite.
Yes, 'Who is he?' is correct, but 'Wie is dat?' is more common when you don't know the person at all.
It's a contraction of 'Wie is het?' and is often used when someone knocks on the door.
No, Dutch is strict about this. Objects are always 'wat'.
Yes, it's standard in both the Netherlands and Flanders.
No, 'wie' stays the same for both subject and object in modern Dutch.
It's a long 'ee' sound, like in the English word 'bee'.
It's a bit informal for an email. Better to use 'Ik zou graag willen weten wie die persoon is'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Wie ben jij?
similarWho are you?
Wat is dat?
contrastWhat is that?
Wie zijn dat?
specialized formWho are those (people)?
Wie is er?
similarWho is there?
Ken ik jou?
builds onDo I know you?
Wie is de Mol?
specialized formWho is the Mole?
