Kun je mij je telefoonnummer geven?

Can you give me your telephone number?

Breakdown of Kun je mij je telefoonnummer geven?

• kunnen: can
• je: you
• mij: me
• geven: to give
• je: your
• het telefoonnummer: the telephone number

Questions & Answers about Kun je mij je telefoonnummer geven?

Why is the conjugated verb kun at the very beginning of the sentence instead of after je?

In Dutch yes/no questions the finite (conjugated) verb always comes first (this is often called the “V1” or inverted word order). So you place kun (“can”) before the subject pronoun je (“you”), giving you Kun je …? rather than Je kun …?.

Why does the infinitive geven sit all the way at the end of the sentence?

Whenever you use a modal verb like kun (can), the main verb in its infinitive form (here geven, “to give”) moves to the very end of the clause. Structure:

1. modal verb (kun)
2. subject (je)
3. objects (mij, je telefoonnummer)
4. main verb (geven)

Why do we see je twice in Kun je mij je telefoonnummer geven? Aren’t they confusing?

They actually serve two different functions:

• The first je is the subject pronoun “you.”
• The second je is the unstressed possessive adjective “your,” modifying telefoonnummer.

Dutch often uses je both as “you” and as “your” in unstressed positions.

What’s the difference between je, jij, jou, and jouw?

• je
– Unstressed subject pronoun (you) or unstressed possessive (your).
• jij
– Stressed subject pronoun (you, for emphasis).
• jou
– Object pronoun (you, after verbs or prepositions).
• jouw
– Stressed possessive adjective (your, before nouns, for emphasis).

Examples:
– Geef jij me jouw pen? (stressed you/your)
– Geef je me je pen? (unstressed you/your)

Why is mij used here instead of me?

Both mij and me can function as “me” in Dutch.

• mij is the full form, often used for clarity or slightly more formal speech.
• me is the clitic (short) form, common in casual conversation.

You could equally say:
Kun je me je telefoonnummer geven?
and it would sound perfectly natural in everyday Dutch.

Why is the indirect object mij placed before the direct object je telefoonnummer? Could it come after?

When one object is a pronoun (mij/me) and the other is a noun phrase (je telefoonnummer), Dutch normally puts the pronoun first. If you reverse them you must change the structure:
Kun je je telefoonnummer aan mij geven?
Here you use the preposition aan (“to”) so the order can be noun phrase → prepositional object.

Could I just say Kun je je telefoonnummer aan mij geven?? Is it the same?

Yes. Both sentences mean exactly the same thing.

• Kun je mij je telefoonnummer geven? (uses indirect‐object pronoun)
• Kun je je telefoonnummer aan mij geven? (uses prepositional object)

They’re interchangeable; the first is a bit more compact, the second is more explicit.

How can I make this request more polite or more formal?

To soften it, you can use the conditional zou or the formal u, for example:
• Zou je me je telefoonnummer kunnen geven?
(“Would you be able to give me your phone number?” – polite/casual)
• Kunt u mij uw telefoonnummer geven?
(formal “you”, polite)
You can also slip in even for extra softness:
• Kun je me even je telefoonnummer geven?