Dutch grammar: persoonlijke voornaamwoorden

What this grammar point covers

Personal pronouns in Dutch are words that you use instead of names of people or things, like 'I', 'you', 'he', 'she', etc.

When to use it

Use personal pronouns in Dutch to talk about yourself, other people, or things, instead of repeating names. They are used as the subject of a sentence.

Key forms

• ik (I)
• jij/je (you, singular informal)
• u (you, formal)
• hij (he)
• zij/ze (she)
• het (it)
• wij/we (we)
• jullie (you, plural)
• zij/ze (they)

Examples

Tips

• Use 'jij' or 'je' for informal 'you', and 'u' for formal situations.
• The pronoun 'ze' can mean both 'she' and 'they', depending on context.
• The verb form changes depending on the pronoun.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Sometimes 'je' or 'ze' is used instead of 'jij' or 'zij' in informal speech.
• In questions, 'jij' and 'je' often come after the verb: 'Woon jij hier?'