wiens

wiens

See also: Wiens

Dutch

Etymology

Genitive masculine singular of wie.

Pronunciation

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Determiner

wiens

1. (interrogative) whose

   Wiens auto is dat? ― Whose car is that?

2. (relative) whose

   Martin Van Buren is de enige Amerikaanse president wiens moedertaal niet Engels was. Zijn eerste taal was Nederlands.

   Martin Van Buren is the only American president whose mother tongue was not English. His first language was Dutch.

Usage notes

Wiens has come to replace its female equivalent, wier, in both singular and plural. While wiens is the genitive masculine singular of wie, wier is the genitive feminine singular and the genitive plural. Although the use of wier has become largely archaic and dialectal, it is still recommended by grammarians. Example sentences of different usage:

• Hij is de enige president wiens moedertaal niet Engels was. — He is the only president whose mother tongue was not English. (genitive masculine singular)
• Zij is de enige presidente wier moedertaal niet Engels was. — She is the only president whose mother tongue was not English. (genitive feminine singular)
• Zij zijn de enige presidenten wier moedertaal niet Engels was. — They are the only presidents whose mother tongue was not English. (genitive plural)