dass or das?
a2The most common German spelling mistake, and it has a reliable test: das can be replaced by dieses, jenes or welches, dass by nothing. Both introduce a subordinate clause with the verb at the end.
das
An article or a pronoun pointing back to a neuter noun. Test: dieses, jenes or welches fits in the same slot.
Das Buch, das ich gestern gekauft habe, ist gut.The book that I bought yesterday is good.
dass
A pure conjunction with no meaning of its own. Follows verbs of saying, thinking and feeling: glauben, hoffen, wissen, freuen.
Ich hoffe, dass du bald kommst.I hope that you will come soon.
The mistake
Ich glaube, das du recht hast.
Ich glaube, dass du recht hast.
Apply the test: dieses du recht hast is not a sentence. So it can only be the conjunction dass.
Rule of thumb
One s or two? Replace it with dieses. If that works, write das with one s. If not, take dass.
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