When talking about rules, traditions, or societal expectations, use the formal indefinite pronoun men to express what "one" or "people" do in a general sense.
Even though it refers to people collectively, men is always a singular subject. It takes the same third-person singular verb form as hij or zij.
| People do not talk while eating. | Men praat niet terwijl men eet. |
| People find it rude when you do not listen. | Men vindt het onbeschoft als je niet luistert. |
Word Order
Because men acts as a standard subject pronoun, it follows normal Dutch word order rules, including inversion in questions or when a sentence starts with another phrase.
| Do people still consider those traditions important? | Vindt men die tradities nog steeds belangrijk? |
| In that culture, people are never rude. | In die cultuur is men nooit onbeschoft. |
Society and Customs
When describing rules that apply (gelden) in a culture or society (de samenleving), men is frequently used.
| Does this rule also apply when one is at home? | Geldt deze regel ook als men thuis is? |
Another common way to express general expectations is with the phrase het is gebruikelijk om... (it is customary to...).
| In our society, it is customary to shake hands. | In onze samenleving is het gebruikelijk om elkaar de hand te schudden. |
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