In Dutch, we write "een" (meaning "a" or "an") with accent marks (één) only in specific situations:
To avoid confusion with the indefinite article "een": You use "één" (with accent marks) when "een" could be misread as the indefinite article instead of the number "one." This is most common when clarity is important or there's a risk of misunderstanding.
- Example: "Ik heb thuis één hond en een kat" (I have one dog and a cat at home). Here, "één" clarifies you have exactly one dog.
To emphasize "one": You can use "één" with accent marks to put emphasis on the number "one."
- Example: "Hij wil één miljoen euro!" (He wants one million euros!). Here, "één" emphasizes the large amount.
In most other cases, you simply write "een" without accent marks.