De or het been?

Forms

Singular

het been

Plural

de beenderen, de benen

Diminutive

het beentje

Why het?

• Many nouns that start with ge-, be-, ver- or ont- take het, as long as they do not end in -ing, -heid, -te or -de.
• Every plural takes de, so it is de beenderen whatever the singular takes.
• Every diminutive takes het: het beentje.

The rules for de and het, with the exceptions

Meaning in English

1. leg, limb of a person, horse (other animals would have poten) and certain objects (again many have poten)
2. bone, constituent part of a skeleton
3. bone, the chalky material bones are made of
4. side, leg
5. the upper part of a sock, above the ankle