Breakdown of Hij is een student.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
een
a/an
de student
the student
Questions & Answers about Hij is een student.
Why do we use is in this sentence?
Is is the form of the verb zijn (to be) that matches hij (he), zij or ze (she), and het (it). It works exactly like English: "he is" translates directly to hij is.
How should I pronounce een?
You should pronounce een with a short, relaxed "uh" sound (like the "a" in the English word "about"). If you pronounce it with a long "ay" sound, it actually means the number one (which is written as één).
Can I say Hij is student without the word een?
Yes! In Dutch, you can usually leave out the word een (a/an) when stating someone's profession or role. Both Hij is student and Hij is een student are completely correct.
If we changed Hij to "She", would the word student change?
It can, but it doesn't have to. The specific word for a female student is studente (so you could say Zij is een studente). However, Dutch speakers very often just use student as a general word for anyone who studies, regardless of gender.
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