Learn Dutch: Heb je jouw paspoort? - Do you have your passport?

When making a question in Dutch, the verb and the subject swap places. A special rule applies to the "you" form: when je or jij comes immediately after the verb, you drop the -t at the end. So je hebt (you have) becomes heb je (do you have).

Why do we use jouw for "your" here?

Jouw is the emphasized version of "your". While you can often use the unstressed word je for "your", using jouw avoids saying Heb je je paspoort?, which repeats the same sound twice. It also clearly emphasizes that we are asking about your passport.

Can je mean both "you" and "your"?

Yes! Je is a very common, unstressed word. It can mean the subject "you" (instead of jij), the object "you" (instead of jou), AND the possessive "your" (instead of jouw). In this exact sentence, je is the subject "you".

How do I pronounce the double oo in paspoort?

The double oo makes a long "o" sound in Dutch, similar to the "oa" in the English word "boat". It is held slightly longer than a single "o", so it doesn't sound quite like the English word "passport".