Learn Hardcore Dutch: Zij is Sofie.

In Dutch, Zij and Ze both mean she. However, Zij is the stressed form, often used when you want to emphasize who you are talking about. Ze is the unstressed form, more commonly used in everyday speech.

Can Zij also mean they in Dutch?

Yes, Zij can mean both she and they. Whether Zij means she or they depends on context or additional words in the sentence. In Zij is Sofie, the context clearly shows you are talking about one person, so here it means she.

Is it okay to say Zij is de Sofie?

No. In Dutch, you usually don’t put an article in front of a proper name, so you would not say Zij is de Sofie. Instead, you simply say Zij is Sofie or Ze is Sofie.

Do I need to change anything if I use Ze instead of Zij?

Not really. As long as the meaning is clear, Ze is Sofie is perfectly correct. The only difference is that Ze is less emphasized than Zij, which is used for focus or contrast.

How do you pronounce Zij?

Zij is pronounced roughly like “zay” in English, but with a shorter ay sound. In everyday speech, you’ll hear Ze pronounced more like “zuh.”