(:title Connector -s:)
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PICS:arrowlink.gif"internal link" [[FORUM:quiz.php?c=3 | Nouns and articles exercises]] Diminutives  PICS:link_icon.gif"link"[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminutive | Diminutives at Wikipedia.org]]
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{$TransBy} [[Main.AboutMe | Bieneke Berendsen]]
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You are now about to learn one of the most fascinating Dutch grammar rules: The rule regarding the connecting elements -s. Quite frankly, it is hardly worth the qualification 'rule':

%block class='rule'% 
we use the connecting -s in written language, \\
if it is also used in spoken language

This is the ''official'' guideline. Even Dutch native speakers, this is far from evident. Since there is not always a 100% agreement among the more than 20 million Dutch speakers about the presence of the connecting ''s'', some compound words can be written both with and without an ''s.'' This is the consequence of basing a linguistic rule on spoken language. 

Although the use of the connecting -s seems quite random, there are a few nouns that always take a connecting -s when they consitute the first part of a compound noun:

* Verb-based nouns that end in unstressed -ing
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(:cell width="33%" class="gray":)de verdediging + de linie 
(:cell width="33%" class="gray":)de verdedigingslinie 
(:cell class="i":)the defense line 
(:cellnr class="gray":)de betaling + het verkeer 
(:cell class="gray":)het betalingsverkeer
(:cell class="i":)the ' payment traffic' 
(:cellnr class="gray":)de begroting + het tekort 
(:cell class="gray":)het begrotingstekort 
(:cell class="i":)the budget deficit 
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* Verb-based nouns that end in unstressed -er. Many of the non-verb based nouns ending in unstressed -er also use the connecting -s. 
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(:cell width="33%" class="gray":)de arbeider + de partij
(:cell width="33%" class="gray":)de arbeiderspartij 
(:cell class="i":)the labour (workers) party 
(:cellnr class="gray":)de beginner  + het geluk 
(:cell class="gray":)het beginnersgeluk 
(:cell class="i":)the beginner's luck 
(:cellnr class="gray":)de ondernemer + de zin 
(:cell class="gray":)de ondernemerszin 
(:cell class="i":)the entrepreneurial spirit 
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* Diminutives
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(:cell width="33%" class="gray":)het meisje + de kleding 
(:cell width="33%" class="gray":)de meisjeskleding
(:cell class="i":)the girls clothes 
(:cellnr class="gray":)het pakje + de avond 
(:cell class="gray":)(de) pakjesavond 
(:cell class="i":)St. Nicholas Eve (Dutch holiday) 
(:cellnr class="gray":)het sprookje + het bos 
(:cell class="gray":)het sprookjesbos
(:cell class="i":)the fairy tale woods 
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!!A few tips

I repeat my advice: Use a spellchecker! Now suppose your compound noun is not mentioned in the dictionary. In this case, the Nederlandse Taalunie has a few tips for you: 

# Check your dictionary for a compound noun that begins with the same word. If a connecting -s is used for this word, then you should also use it for your unlisted compound noun. If the connecting -s is not used, then you should not use it either. 

# Things will get really confusing if you find several mentionings of compound nouns that begin with the same word as your compound noun, but some of them ''with'' and some of them ''without'' a connecting -s. If this is the case, use the most frequently mentioned form. In other words, use a connecting -s if most compound nouns in the dictionary that begin with the same word get a connecting -s.
 
# Check the internet for the most frequently used form.

# Use your 'taalgevoel', your language intuition (certainly most helpful).

De Nederlandse Taalunie is the official Dutch language authority to be found online at {$WEB}[[AXS:ax.pl?http://www.taalunieversum.org" | www.taalunieversum.org]].
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