Ozetta
Dutch news, in your languageThursday, 24 September 2026No. 17,513

Lifestyle

Can you get used to speaking without articles?

Trouw24 September · 22:001 hour ago

Peter-Arno Coppen explores the challenge of speaking Dutch without using definite or indefinite articles. Initially believing it impossible due to the frequency of these words, he found that adaptation is possible through conscious effort. He identifies specific linguistic zones where omitting articles is easier, such as verb groups and plurals. While spontaneous conversation remains difficult, Coppen concludes that avoiding articles is achievable with practice, noting that readers have also begun experimenting with this grammatical constraint in their own writing.

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Lifestyle