Independent Possessive Pronouns
When you want to say "mine," "yours," or "ours" without repeating the noun, use an independent possessive pronoun.
Form these by adding an -e to the possessive pronoun (if it doesn't already have one), preceded by de or het.
| English | Dutch |
|---|---|
| mine | de / het mijne |
| yours | de / het jouwe |
| his | de / het zijne |
| hers | de / het hare |
| ours | de / het onze |
To choose between de and het, match the gender of the noun you are replacing.
Replacing "Het" Words
If the noun you are referring back to is a het-word, use het. For example, bureau (desk) and schrift (notebook) are both het-words:
| This is my desk, and that is yours. | Dit is mijn bureau, en dat is het jouwe. |
| He is writing in my notebook, not in his. | Hij schrijft in mijn schrift, niet in het zijne. |
Replacing "De" Words
If the noun being replaced is a de-word, use de. Words like werkplek (workspace), laptop, and nietmachine (stapler) take de:
| I am looking for a quiet workspace, because mine is too busy. | Ik zoek een rustige werkplek, want de mijne is te druk. |
| My laptop is broken, may I borrow yours? | Mijn laptop is kapot, mag ik de jouwe lenen? |
| Do you have a stapler, because ours is empty. | Hebben jullie een nietmachine, want de onze is leeg. |
| The colleague is using the stapler, but it is not hers. | De collega gebruikt de nietmachine, maar het is niet de hare. |
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