Men is een onbepaald, formeel voornaamwoord dat verwijst naar een onbepaalde groep mensen of iedereen in het algemeen.

(Men is an indefinite, formal pronoun that refers to an unspecified group of people or everyone in general.)

What “men” means (and what it does not mean)

Men is an impersonal subject. It means:

  • people in general
  • the organization / the system (without naming who exactly)
  • “one” in English (formal, neutral)

Important: men does not point to a specific person. It stays deliberately vague.

Form: “men” + verb in the singular

The key thing to watch: men always takes a singular verb (3rd person singular).

Subject Verb form Correct example
men singular Men bespreekt de planning op maandag.
men singular Men beslist wie teamleider wordt.

Typical mistake: treating men like a plural subject.

  • Men besprekenMen bespreekt
  • Men beslissenMen beslist

When Dutch uses “men” (most common contexts)

  • Formal language (policies, reports, official tone)

    Men werkt volgens vaste procedures.

  • Rules, norms, instructions (what is expected)

    Men onderbreekt de directeur niet.

  • Neutral statements (general opinion / assumption)

    Men denkt dat het bedrijf groeit.

“Men” vs. “je / we / ze”: what changes in tone

You can often replace men, but the tone changes:

Pronoun Meaning in practice Tone
men people in general / the organization formal, neutral, distant
je “you” meaning people in general more informal, direct
we we as a group (often includes the speaker) inclusive, team feeling
ze they (an unnamed group) more distant; can sound like “others”

Self-check: If you mean our team specifically, we is usually better. If you mean people in general (policy/norm), men fits well.

Word order tip: “men” is the subject

Men behaves like any other subject in Dutch word order:

  • Main clause: subject + verb (2nd position rule)

    Men meldt zich eerst bij de receptie.

  • After a time/place phrase: time/place + verb + subject

    Op kantoor meldt men zich eerst bij de receptie.

Tip: If something is in position 1 (e.g., Op kantoor), the verb comes next, and men moves after the verb.

Quick checklist before you choose “men”

  1. Do I want to keep it general and impersonal?

  2. Is the style formal (policy, norms, guidelines)?

  3. Did I use a singular verb form (e.g., bespreekt, beslist, werkt)?

  4. If there is a starter like Op kantoor: did I keep verb before men?

  1. Form: men + verb in the singular
 Gebruik (Use)Voorbeeld (Example)
men (one)Formeel (Formal)Men werkt in het HR-departement. (One works in the HR department.)
Regels / normen / instructies (Rules / standards / instructions)Men onderbreekt de directeur niet. (One does not interrupt the director.)
Onpersoonlijk / neutraal  (Impersonal / neutral )Men denkt dat het bedrijf groeit. (One thinks that the company is growing.)

Exceptions!

  1. Men is vague and impersonal and you can replace it with the pronouns je, we, or ze.

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

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1. ___ werkt in het HR-departement volgens vaste procedures.

___ works in the HR department according to fixed procedures.

2. ___ onderbreekt de directeur niet tijdens de vergadering.

___ does not interrupt the director during the meeting.

3. ___ denkt dat het bedrijf dit jaar groeit.

___ thinks that the company is growing this year.

4. Op kantoor meldt ___ zich eerst bij de receptie.

At the office, ___ first checks in at reception.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite the sentences using the formal, impersonal pronoun 'one' (verb in the singular).

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  1. In dit bedrijf gebruiken we sterke wachtwoorden voor alle accounts.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    In dit bedrijf gebruikt men sterke wachtwoorden voor alle accounts.
    (In this company one uses strong passwords for all accounts.)
  2. Bij de receptie zeg je altijd eerst je naam.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Bij de receptie zegt men altijd eerst zijn of haar naam.
    (At reception one always says his or her name first.)
  3. In Nederland fietsen ze veel naar het werk.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    In Nederland fietst men veel naar het werk.
    (In the Netherlands one often cycles to work.)
  4. Tijdens de vergadering onderbreek je de manager niet.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Tijdens de vergadering onderbreekt men de manager niet.
    (During the meeting one does not interrupt the manager.)

Exercise 3: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct sentence with 'men' for each block.

Fetching your corrections... Please don't close this page yet.

1.
Incorrect: after 'men' the verb should be singular, so 'discusses' instead of 'discuss'.
2.
Incorrect: 'men' requires a singular finite verb; the correct form is 'decides'.

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Yoni De Ketelaere

Bachelor in International Business Management

HOGENT

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Belgium


Last Updated:

Wednesday, 24/06/2026 16:33