You'll stop guessing about adjective endings by following three simple rules. Many students lose 2–3 points on the writing section of the exam simply because they forget to add or remove a single letter. Correcting your bijvoeglijk naamwoord buiging a2 (adjective inflection) ensures your sentences look professional to the DUO graders. You want your grammar to reflect your level of Dutch so that small mistakes don't lower your final score. It's easy. Once you internalise the decision tree, you won't need to pause while writing your exam answers. You just need to know the gender of the noun and the type of article you are use.
Identify if the noun is a de-word or plural
Identify the noun type first. Most nouns in Dutch are de-words. Approximately 75% of Dutch nouns belong to this category. You will see words like de auto (the car) or de krant (the newspaper) in every practice exam. When an adjective describes a de-word, you add an -e to the end. It does not matter which article you use. A big car is een grote auto and the big car is de grote auto. This consistency helps you write faster during the Schrijven (Writing) module. You don't have to think twice.
Whether you say de mooie auto (the beautiful car) or een mooie auto (a beautiful car), the adjective ending remains the same. The same logic applies to demonstrative pronouns and possessive pronouns used with these nouns. You'll write deze grote tafel (this large table) or mijn oude fiets (my old bike) with the ending intact. There are no exceptions for singular de-words in the A2 syllabus. If you are writing a letter to a friend about your new house, you would use de nieuwe woning. If you mention your new doctor, it is de nieuwe huisarts.
Plural nouns follow the same rule. Focus. It doesn't matter if the singular version of the noun was a de-word or a het-word. Once a noun becomes plural, the adjective always receives an -e ending. For example, het huis (the house) becomes de grote huizen (the large houses) in the plural form. Even without an article, the rule holds firm. You must write mooie boeken (beautiful books) or snelle treinen (fast trains) to pass the writing check. This consistency makes plurals the easiest part of the decision tree to master during your study sessions. When you list your hobbies or activities to the IND or the gemeente, remember to keep that extra letter on your adjectives for every plural item.
Apply the exception for indefinite het-words
This is the only section of the decision tree where you might omit the -e ending. You'll only leave the adjective in its base form when you meet three specific conditions at the same time: the noun is a het-word, it's singular, and it's indefinite. If any one of those three conditions isn't met, you're back to adding the -e. Many students fail to notice this because they apply the ending to everything by habit. This specific rule is a frequent testing point for the Inburgeringsexamen because it demonstrates a deeper understanding of Dutch syntax. Using the correct ending shows you can distinguish between definite and indefinite contexts—a key requirement for reaching the A2 level.
The definite 'het' rule: 'Het grote huis'
When you use a definite article with a singular het-word, you must add the -e ending. Definite articles include het (the), dit (this), and dat (that). Possessive pronouns like mijn (my) or jouw (your) also trigger this rule for het-words. If you're writing about your own home to a makelaar (real estate agent), you would write mijn grote huis (my big house). The presence of a specific pointer makes the noun definite.
Look at how the adjective changes when the article is definite. You'll say het nieuwe werk (the new work) or dat oude kind (that old child). The presence of a specific, definite pointer before the noun forces the adjective to take the -e. This creates a clear distinction in Dutch between a specific object and a general one. During the exam, if you see the word het before the adjective, add the letter without hesitation. This also applies when using demonstratives like dit of dat. You might write about dit mooie dorp (this beautiful village) when describing where you live.
The indefinite 'het' rule: 'Een groot huis'
This is the specific exception that requires the base form of the adjective. You leave the -e off when the singular het-word follows een (a/an), geen (none/no), or no article at all. This often happens when describing general concepts or things that haven't been mentioned before. For example, you write ik zoek een goedkoop huis (I'm looking for a cheap house) instead of goedkope.
This rule also applies to sentences where no article is present. If you're talking about lekker bier (tasty beer) or warm water (warm water), you omit the ending because these are singular het-words used indefinitely. When you write a letter to your zorgverzekeraar (health insurer) about nieuw werk (new work), keep the adjective short. Simple. Moreover, if you tell the Belastingdienst that you have geen eigen bedrijf (no own business), notice that eigen stays in its base form. Remembering this single exception will help you avoid the most common grammar trap in the A2 writing module.
Distinguish between attributive and predicative adjectives
Before you apply any endings, you must check where the adjective sits in the sentence. The rules above only apply to attributive adjectives—those that stand directly before a noun. If the adjective comes after a verb like zijn (to be) or worden (to become), it's a predicative adjective. Predicative adjectives never get an -e ending. Check first.
Compare de grote auto (the big car) with de auto is groot (the car is big). In the second sentence, the adjective describes the noun but sits after the verb. It doesn't matter if the noun is de, het, singular, or plural. The adjective remains in its base form. For instance, you would write de kinderen zijn moe (the children are tired) and het boek is interessant (the book is interesting). This rule saves you from over-complicating your sentences.
If you're describing your situation to the gemeente (municipality), watch your sentence structure. Writing mijn woning is kleine is a common error that tells the grader you don't understand the difference between these positions. Always check if a verb separates your adjective from the noun it describes. This applies to verbs of state like lijken (to seem) or blijven (to stay). If you say de situatie blijft lastig (the situation stays difficult), you do not add an -e because lastig follows the verb.
Practice with the most common A2 nouns
You'll encounter certain nouns repeatedly on the A2 exam. Practicing the decision tree with these specific words will make your responses faster and more accurate. Let's look at four words that DUO frequently uses in the Schrijven (Writing) and Spreken (Speaking) sections.
- Auto (de): This is a de-word. You'll always use the -e. Write de snelle auto and een snelle auto. If you mention several, write snelle auto's.
- Fiets (de): Another de-word common in travel prompts. Use de oude fiets or een nieuwe fiets. Never write een nieuw fiets.
- Kind (het): This is a het-word. Here you must apply the exception. Write het jonge kind (definite) but een jong kind (indefinite).
- Werk (het): Frequently used in prompts about your job. Use het zware werk (the heavy work) or ik zoek leuk werk (I'm looking for fun work).
When you practice, try to categorise every new noun you learn as de or het. This knowledge is the foundation of the entire system. Without knowing the gender, you're just guessing. Most students who fail to master this lose points because they treat every noun as a de-word. By learning the het-words first, you'll naturally become more sensitive to the exceptions.
Bottom line
The most important takeaway is that adjectives only lose the -e ending when they describe a singular het-word preceded by een, geen, or nothing. In every other case where the adjective stands before the noun, you must add the -e. If the adjective follows a verb, it always stays in its base form.
