Singular object pronouns (mij, jou, hem, haar)

Singular Object Pronouns

Dutch uses object pronouns for the person receiving the action of a verb.

EnglishDutch
memij (me)
youjou (je)
himhem
herhaar
  • Note: Dutch has both stressed (*mij, jou) and unstressed (me, je) forms. This lesson focuses on the stressed forms, which add emphasis.*

First and Second Person: Mij and Jou

In a standard sentence, the object pronoun typically follows the conjugated verb.

That neighbor sees me.
Die buurman ziet mij.
I do not believe you.
Ik geloof jou niet.

Third Person: Hem and Haar

Use hem for a male and haar for a female.

We are meeting him tomorrow.
Wij ontmoeten hem morgen.
The boss thanks her.
De baas bedankt haar.

Multiple Actions

Object pronouns make it easy to link multiple actions and track who is interacting with whom.

The neighbor calls me and I follow him.
De buurman roept mij en ik volg hem.
The neighbor calls you, but you do not hear her.
De buurvrouw roept jou, maar jij hoort haar niet.