das
the
Definite article that accompanies a neuter noun in the singular nominative or accusative.
EXAMPLE
Das Kind liest das Buch.
The child is reading the book.
das
the / that
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Meanings
das
that
Demonstrative pronoun that refers to a thing, a circumstance, or the content of an entire sentence.
EXAMPLE
Er hat sich entschuldigt. Das finde ich gut.
He apologized. I think that is good.
das
that / which
Relative pronoun that introduces a subordinate clause and refers to a neuter noun in the singular.
EXAMPLE
Hier ist das Foto, das ich dir zeigen wollte.
Here is the photo that I wanted to show you.
das
that
Colloquial or dialectal variant of the conjunction 'dass' (that).
EXAMPLE
Ich hoffe, das du bald wieder gesund bist.
I hope that you are healthy again soon.
Usage tips
Common mistake: das/dass
A common mistake is confusing 'das' (the/that/which) and 'dass' (that). A simple rule: if you can replace 'das' with 'dieses' (this) or 'welches' (which), it is written with one 's'. If not, it is the conjunction 'dass'.
EXAMPLE
Das Haus, das dort steht, ist alt.
The house that stands there is old.
Same in nominative and accusative
The article 'das' (the) for neuter nouns has the same form in the nominative and accusative. You do not need to change the article in these two cases.
EXAMPLE
Das Auto ist neu.
The car is new.
Referring to whole sentences
As a demonstrative pronoun, 'das' (that) can refer to an entire situation or to the content of a previous sentence. It summarizes the idea.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat die Prüfung bestanden. Das freut mich sehr für sie.
She passed the exam. I am very happy about that for her.
Word order in relative clauses
When 'das' (that/which) introduces a relative clause for a neuter noun, the conjugated verb always comes at the end of the clause.
EXAMPLE
Ich lese gerade das Buch, das du mir empfohlen hast.
I am currently reading the book that you recommended to me.
Colloquial usage
Using 'das' instead of the conjunction 'dass' (that) is purely colloquial. In written texts and in formal situations, this is a mistake.
EXAMPLE
Er sagt, das er später kommt.
He says that he is coming later.
Compare with
das vs der
the
Der and das can both accompany a specific singular noun, but der is used with a masculine noun and das with a neuter noun. So check the gender: der Tisch, but das Fenster.
das
Das Fenster steht neben dem Tisch.
The window is next to the table.
der
Der Tisch steht neben dem Fenster.
The table is next to the window.
In real life
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