De or het bord?

Forms

Singular

het bord

Plural

de borden

Diminutive

het bordje

Why het?

• No reliable spelling rule decides this one, so het bord is learned together with the word.
• Every plural takes de, so it is de borden whatever the singular takes.
• Every diminutive takes het: het bordje.

The rules for de and het, with the exceptions

Meaning in English

1. plate, dish (cutlery)
2. plank, board (as in "blackboard" (see schoolbord) or as in "chessboard" (see schaakbord))
3. sign (traffic, etc.)