Pronouns are among the most frequently used words in any language. In Dutch, pronouns come in several categories: personal pronouns (I, you, he…), possessive pronouns (my, your, his…), reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself…), and demonstrative pronouns (this, that…). This complete guide covers all of them with clear examples.
Dutch pronouns have both a full form (used when stressed or emphasised) and a weak/reduced form (used in casual, unstressed speech). For example, jij (full) and je (weak) both mean "you" — je is far more common in everyday conversation!
👤 Personal Pronouns — Subject Form
| Person | Full form | Weak form | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sing. | ik | — | I |
| 2nd sing. informal | jij | je | you |
| 2nd sing. formal | u | — | you (polite) |
| 3rd sing. masc. | hij | ie / 'ie | he |
| 3rd sing. fem. | zij | ze | she |
| 3rd sing. neuter | het | 't | it |
| 1st pl. | wij | we | we |
| 2nd pl. | jullie | — | you (plural) |
| 3rd pl. | zij | ze | they |
Use jij when the pronoun is stressed or emphasised: Jij doet dat, niet ik! (YOU do that, not me!)
Use je in normal unstressed speech: Wat doe je vanavond? (What are you doing tonight?)
👤 Personal Pronouns — Object Form
| Person | Full form | Weak form | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sing. | mij | me | me |
| 2nd sing. inf. | jou | je | you |
| 2nd sing. formal | u | — | you |
| 3rd sing. masc. | hem | 'm | him |
| 3rd sing. fem. | haar | d'r / 'r | her |
| 3rd sing. neuter | het | 't | it |
| 1st pl. | ons | — | us |
| 2nd pl. | jullie | — | you (pl.) |
| 3rd pl. | hen / hun | ze | them |
📐 Hen vs Hun — The Tricky Distinction
Technically: hen is the direct object (Ik zie hen — I see them) and hun is the indirect object (Ik geef hun het boek — I give them the book). In practice, most Dutch speakers use ze for both and consider hen/hun very formal.
🏠 Possessive Pronouns
| Person | Before de-words | Before het-words | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sing. | mijn | mijn | my |
| 2nd sing. inf. | jouw / je | jouw / je | your |
| 2nd sing. formal | uw | uw | your (polite) |
| 3rd sing. masc. | zijn / z'n | zijn / z'n | his |
| 3rd sing. fem. | haar / d'r | haar / d'r | her |
| 1st pl. | ons / onze | ons | our |
| 2nd pl. | jullie | jullie | your (pl.) |
| 3rd pl. | hun / d'r | hun / d'r | their |
The word for "our" has two forms:
ons before het-words: ons huis (our house)
onze before de-words and all plurals: onze auto (our car), onze kinderen (our children)
🪞 Reflexive Pronouns
| Person | Reflexive pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ik | me / mezelf | Ik was me. (I wash myself.) |
| jij | je / jezelf | Jij vergist je. (You are mistaken.) |
| hij/zij | zich / zichzelf | Hij scheert zich. (He shaves himself.) |
| wij | ons / onszelf | We vervelen ons. (We are bored.) |
| jullie | je / jezelf | Jullie vergissen je. (You are mistaken.) |
| zij (they) | zich / zichzelf | Ze wassen zich. (They wash themselves.) |
✏️ Practice: Fill in the Correct Pronoun
- I see him → Ik zie hem
- This is our car → Dit is onze auto
- She washes herself → Zij wast zich
- Your (informal) book → Jouw boek
- We give them a gift → We geven hun / ze een cadeau
🔗 Continue Learning
- 👉 Verb Conjugation — verbs change with different pronouns
- 👉 Word Order — pronoun position in sentences
- 👉 De vs Het — affects possessive pronoun choice
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