The exact spelling appears at position 15,265 in the cited OpenSubtitles-derived Dutch 50k token list. That is a corpus signal, not search volume, CEFR level or proof that the noun sense is equally frequent. Article, forms, glosses, pronunciation and examples are adapted from English Wiktionary via Kaikki under CC BY-SA 4.0. See sources and modifications.
How zitje is pronounced
No IPA value is reproduced for this entry. Check a current native-speaker recording before copying the pronunciation.
Say the article and noun together—het zitje—before practising the word in a sentence. This keeps grammatical gender attached to the item you retrieve. Regional speech and sentence rhythm can change the surface sound, so use the transcription as a compact reference rather than as a substitute for listening.
What zitje means
a small social gathering at someone's home
Dictionary label: Suriname, neuter
An English gloss identifies a sense, not a one-word substitution that works in every context. Look at the surrounding verb, preposition, number and situation in the Dutch example. When several meanings are listed, practise one meaning at a time and state a concrete context before changing to another sense.
Article, plural and diminutive
| Form | Dutch | Speaking use |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | het zitje | Retrieve the article and noun as one chunk. |
| Plural | de zitjes | Dutch plural nouns take de; also change the verb and quantity where needed. |
Do not guess the article from the English translation. Learn het zitje as a single unit, then contrast it with de zitjes. A diminutive normally uses het, but its pragmatic meaning can be neutral, literal, affectionate or dismissive depending on context.
Translated examples with zitje
De belletjes bij minister Amar Ramadhin hadden al moeten rinkelen toen vicepresident (vp) Ronnie Brunswijk liet doorschemeren dat hij een 'zitje' wilde houden met zijn naasten, onder wie zijn kinderen. De minister had niet verwacht dat het om een feest ging met alles erop en eraan, terwijl alle voorbereidingen van het feest te volgen waren op social media.
Minister Amar Ramadhin's alarm bells should have gone off immediately when Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk hinted that he wanted to have a 'small gathering' with his loved ones, including his children. The Minister had not expected that it would be a full-blown party, while all the party preparations could be followed on social media.
These examples are citation-backed language data. First identify what the noun refers to and which words determine or describe it. Then change only one element—person, quantity, time, place or description—while keeping the article and number consistent. That small variation turns a reference example into active speaking practice without inventing a rule from one sentence.
Four-step speaking drill
- Say het zitje three times, then add one adjective or location that fits the first meaning.
- Build a present-tense sentence with a named person, a concrete place and the singular noun.
- Change the message to de zitjes. Update the number, determiner and finite verb instead of replacing only the noun ending.
- Ask a follow-up question containing the noun, record the answer, and repeat once with a different detail.
Listen first for meaning and article choice, then for sentence order and pronunciation. Correct the first error that changes the message or blocks the listener. Avoid restarting for every small hesitation: complete the message, note one target, and make the second recording more precise.
Self-check before you continue
- I retrieve het zitje as one chunk.
- The singular or plural matches the determiner, quantity and verb.
- The selected meaning fits the situation.
- The sentence includes enough detail for another person to understand the reference.
- I can ask and answer one question with the noun without reading the page.
Questions about zitje
What does zitje mean?
a small social gathering at someone's home.
Is it de zitje or het zitje?
The cited entry uses het zitje. Keep the article attached when learning and retrieving the noun.
What is the plural of zitje?
The cited plural is zitjes. In a full sentence, also check the determiner, quantity and verb.
Use zitje in a recorded response
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