Dutch personal pronouns: ik, jij or je, u, hij, zij, ze — and je or u

Ik, jij or je, u, hij, zij or ze: the Dutch personal pronouns, their short forms, the object and possessive forms — and the one choice that matters most in daily life: je or u.

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The Binnenhof in The Hague, seat of the Dutch government, across the Hofvijver
Photo: Michielverbeek, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized.

Dutch pronouns come in a stressed and an unstressed form: jij and je, zij and ze, wij and we. In speech and most writing the short form is normal; the long one adds stress (Jij moet het doen — you have to do it).

SubjectObjectPossessiveEnglish
ikmij / memijnI
jij / jejou / jejouw / jeyou (informal)
uuuwyou (formal)
hijhemzijnhe
zij / zehaarhaarshe
hethetzijnit
wij / weonsons / onzewe
julliejulliejullieyou (plural)
zij / zehen, hun / zehunthey

je or u? U for people you do not know, customers, doctors, officials, older people and in formal letters; je for friends, family, children and most colleagues. U takes the -t form of the verb: u werkt, u bent, u hebt (or u heeft). If unsure, start with u — people will offer je.

Kunt u mij helpen?

Literally: Can you help me? (formal)

Meaning: u + kunnen: u kunt; helpen.

Kun je me helpen?

Literally: Can you help me? (informal)

Meaning: je + kun — the -t drops when je follows the verb.

Je, jij and the dropped -t

Jij takes the -t: jij werkt, jij komt. But when jij or je comes after the verb — in a question or after inversion — the -t disappears: werk jij?, kom je morgen?, morgen kom je. Not with u: komt u morgen? See questions and word order.

Ons or onze? Hun or hen?

  • ons / onze: ons before a singular het-word (ons huis), onze before de-words and plurals (onze stad, onze kinderen) — see de or het.
  • hen / hun / ze for them: in careful writing hen after a preposition and as direct object, hun as indirect object; in speech ze is the safe choice. Never hun as a subject in writing (hun hebben is wrong).
  • het for things that are het-words; for de-words the Dutch often say hij (de trein — hij is te laat).

Reflexive pronouns: zich

Some verbs need a pronoun that points back: ik meld me aan (aanmelden), zij voelt zich goed (voelen). The forms: me, je, zich, ons, je, zich — and u or zich with u.

In practice

  1. Decide per situation: je or u? At the gemeente, the doctor, a job interview: u.
  2. Learn the verbs with u: zijn (u bent), hebben (u hebt / heeft), kunnen (u kunt), willen (u wilt), mogen (u mag).
  3. Practise the formal and informal versions of the same message — the writing exam tests it.
  4. The phrasebook shows both forms: thank you, please, how are you.

Je and u, in real sentences

16Word’s Dialogues track trains both registers, line by line, with a game of Blocks between answers. Page 1 is free.

Keep learning

All our Dutch grammar guides

Frequently asked questions

When do you use u in Dutch?

With people you do not know, customers, officials, doctors, older people and in formal letters. Je is for friends, family, children and most colleagues.

What is the difference between jij and je?

Jij is the stressed form, je the unstressed one. Both mean you (informal); je is the everyday form.

Why is it kom je? but jij komt?

When jij or je comes after the verb, the -t ending drops: kom je?, morgen kom je.

Is it ons or onze?

Ons before a singular het-word (ons huis), onze before de-words and plurals (onze stad, onze kinderen).

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