A1 Expression Neutral

Wie is dat?

Who is that?

Phrase in 30 Seconds

The essential Dutch question for identifying people you don't know yet.

  • Means: 'Who is that?' used for identifying a specific person.
  • Used in: Social gatherings, looking at photos, or seeing a stranger.
  • Don't confuse: Never use 'Wie' for objects; use 'Wat' instead.
👤 + ❓ = Wie is dat?

Explanation at your level:

In A1, you learn this as a fixed block. 'Wie' means 'Who', 'is' means 'is', and 'dat' means 'that'. It is one of the first questions you learn so you can ask about people in photos or in the classroom. It is very simple and follows the same order as English.
At the A2 level, you start to see how 'Wie is dat?' fits into larger sentences. You learn that 'dat' is a demonstrative pronoun and that you can change it to 'dit' if the person is close. You also learn to answer with 'Dat is...' followed by a relationship like 'mijn broer' or 'mijn collega'.
In B1, you understand the nuances of using this phrase in different social contexts. You might use it to initiate a conversation about someone's social network. You also learn the plural form 'Wie zijn dat?' and how to use 'wie' as a relative pronoun in more complex sentences, though the basic question remains a staple.
At B2, you recognize the pragmatic uses of 'Wie is dat?'. For instance, using it with a specific intonation to express skepticism or surprise. You also understand the difference between this neutral question and more descriptive ones like 'Wat voor iemand is dat?' (What kind of person is that?), which asks for character rather than identity.
C1 learners analyze the syntactic role of 'wie' as an interrogative pronoun that triggers subject-verb inversion. You explore how 'dat' functions as a dummy subject in identification clauses. You also become aware of regional variations, such as the use of 'wie' vs 'wie dat' in certain Flemish dialects or informal registers.
At C2, you master the subtle sociolinguistic implications of the phrase. You can use it rhetorically within a sophisticated discourse to challenge someone's authority or presence. You understand the historical evolution from the Germanic interrogative system and can discuss the phrase's role in the 'V2' word order constraints of the Dutch language.

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.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Wie

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:

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Wie is dat?

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.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Wie is dat?

'Wie is dat?' is used to identify people.

Complete the dialogue.

A: Kijk naar die foto! B: ______ A: Dat is mijn opa.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Wie is dat?

The answer 'Dat is mijn opa' indicates the question was about a person's identity.

🎉 Ergebnis: /4

Visuelle Lernhilfen

Proximity: Dit vs Dat

Close (Dit)
Wie is dit? Who is this (here)?
Far (Dat)
Wie is dat? Who is that (there)?

Häufig gestellte Fragen

12 Fragen

Yes, 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?

similar

Who are you?

🔗

Wat is dat?

contrast

What is that?

🔗

Wie zijn dat?

specialized form

Who are those (people)?

🔗

Wie is er?

similar

Who is there?

🔗

Ken ik jou?

builds on

Do I know you?

🔗

Wie is de Mol?

specialized form

Who is the Mole?

Wo du es verwendest

🥳

At a party

Learner: Wie is dat?

Friend: Dat is mijn nieuwe vriend, Mark.

informal
📸

Looking at old photos

Grandchild: Oma, wie is dat op deze foto?

Grandmother: Dat is je opa toen hij jong was.

neutral
🚪

Answering the door

Person A: Er klopt iemand. Wie is dat?

Person B: Ik denk dat het de postbode is.

neutral
📱

Social Media

User 1: Wie is dat in je story?

User 2: Dat is een meisje van mijn werk.

informal
💼

In the office

Employee: Wie is dat in de vergaderruimte?

Manager: Dat is de nieuwe consultant.

formal
📺

Watching TV

Viewer A: Wie is dat? Is dat een acteur?

Viewer B: Nee, dat is een bekende zanger.

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Wie' as 'Who' (they both start with W) and 'Dat' as 'That' (they both end in T sounds).

Visual Association

Imagine a giant question mark hovering over a person's head in a dark hallway. As you point, the word 'WIE' lights up in neon.

Rhyme

Wie is dat? Een man met een kat.

Story

You are at a party in Amsterdam. You see a tall man in a bright orange suit. You turn to your friend and whisper, 'Wie is dat?'. Your friend says, 'Dat is de Koning!' (That is the King!).

Word Web

wiewatwaarwanneerwaaromhoedatdit

Herausforderung

Go to a Dutch news website (like NOS.nl), find a photo of a person, and say out loud: 'Wie is dat?'. Then try to find their name in the article.

In Other Languages

German high

Wer ist das?

The 'w' in Dutch is labiodental, while in German it's more like a 'v'.

Spanish high

¿Quién es ese?

Spanish requires gender agreement for the demonstrative.

French moderate

Qui est-ce ?

French often uses 'C'est qui ?' in informal speech, which is a different word order.

Japanese low

あれは誰ですか？ (Are wa dare desu ka?)

Japanese is SOV and requires a question particle.

Arabic low

من هذا؟ (Man hadha?)

No verb 'is' is required in the Arabic present tense.

Chinese low

那是谁？ (Nà shì shéi?)

No inversion of verb and subject in Chinese questions.

Korean low

저 사람은 누구예요? (Jeo sarameun nuguyeyo?)

Verb comes at the very end of the sentence.

Portuguese moderate

Quem é aquele?

Portuguese has different levels of 'that' (esse vs aquele) based on distance.

Easily Confused

Wie is dat? vs. Wat is dat?

Learners often use 'Wat' for people because they think of it as 'What is that person?'.

Remember: People = Wie, Things = Wat.

Wie is dat? vs. Wie is dit?

Learners aren't sure when to use 'dit' vs 'dat'.

Use 'dit' for things/people very close to you, and 'dat' for things/people further away.

FAQ (12)

Yes, 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'.

War das hilfreich?

Kommentare (0)

Zum Kommentieren Anmelden
Noch keine Kommentare. Sei der Erste, der seine Gedanken teilt!