Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

This lesson covers Dutch object personal pronouns like mij, jou, and hem, used after prepositions or to replace nouns in sentences, such as in 'met haar' and 'Ik zie hem'.
  1. Use after a preposition: e.g. 'met haar', 'voor ons'.
  2. Replacing a noun: 'Ik zie Jan' → 'Ik zie hem'.
  3. Usage depending on person and number: 'ik' → 'mij', 'zij' → 'haar'.
Persoon (Person)Enkelvoud (Singular)Meervoud (plural)
1.mij/meons
2.jou/jejullie/je
3.hem/haarhen/hun/ze

Exceptions!

  1. 'hun' is used as an indirect object: 'Ik geef hun een boek'.

Exercise 1: Persoonlijke voornaamwoorden: voorwerp (mij, jou, hem,...)

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

jou, hen, mij, hem, haar

1. 3. enkelvoud (v):
We gaan met ... naar de stad.
(We are going to the city with her.)
2. 3. enkelvoud (m):
Geef jij de sleutel aan ...?
(Do you give him the key?)
3. 3. enkelvoud (m):
Heb je mijn jas gezien? Nee, ik heb ... niet.
(Have you seen my coat? No, I don't have it.)
4. 3. meervoud:
Ik zie Jan en Kees. Ik zie ... lopen.
(I see Jan and Kees. I see them walking.)
5. 1. enkelvoud:
Heeft u een boodschap voor ...?
(Do you have a message for me?)
6. 2. enkelvoud:
Ik heb een cadeau voor ... gekocht.
(I have bought a present for you.)
7. 2. enkelvoud:
Peter, ik heb iets voor ... meegenomen.
(Peter, I have brought something for you.)
8. 3. enkelvoud (v):
Mijn moeder is ziek. Ik ga naar ... toe.
(My mother is ill. I am going to her.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ik koop een jas voor ___.

(I buy a jacket for ___.)

2. Kun je met ___ naar de winkel komen?

(Can you come to the store with ___?)

3. Ik geef ___ het t-shirt.

(I give ___ the t-shirt.)

4. Wij wachten op ___ bij de paskamer.

(We wait for ___ at the fitting room.)

5. Hij zoekt het jasje voor ___.

(He looks for the jacket for ___.)

6. De verkoopster toont de broek aan ___.

(The saleswoman shows the pants to ___.)

Understanding Object Personal Pronouns in Dutch

This lesson focuses on object personal pronouns in Dutch, used to replace nouns and often appearing after prepositions. These pronouns correspond to the English object pronouns like "me," "you," "him," "her," "us," and "them." The content is designed for beginner (A1) learners who want to build a solid grasp of essential Dutch pronouns.

Pronouns Table Overview

Here is a simple chart categorizing the object personal pronouns by person and number:

PersonSingularPlural
1stmij / meons
2ndjou / jejullie / je
3rdhem / haarhen / hun / ze

Key Usage Points

  • Replacement of Nouns: Object pronouns substitute nouns to avoid repetition. Example: "Ik zie Jan" (I see Jan) becomes "Ik zie hem" (I see him).
  • Usage after Prepositions: These pronouns are commonly found after prepositions such as "met" (with), "voor" (for), "aan" (to). For instance, "met haar" (with her), "voor ons" (for us), "aan hem" (to him).
  • Person and Number Agreement: The pronoun changes depending on whether you refer to first, second, or third person, and whether singular or plural. Example: "ik" changes into "mij" in the object form, "zij" becomes "haar" in singular.
  • Special Note on "hun": The pronoun "hun" is used specifically as an indirect object (meewerkend voorwerp) — for example, "Ik geef hun een boek" (I give them a book).

Practical Examples

Here are some useful everyday Dutch sentences demonstrating object pronouns:

  • Ik koop een jas voor haar. (I buy a jacket for her.)
  • Kun je met mij naar de winkel komen? (Can you come with me to the store?)
  • Ik geef hen het t-shirt. (I give them the T-shirt.)
  • Wij wachten op jou bij de paskamer. (We wait for you by the fitting room.)
  • Hij zoekt het jasje voor mij. (He looks for the jacket for me.)
  • De verkoopster toont de broek aan hem. (The saleswoman shows the pants to him.)

Instruction Language vs. Dutch Pronouns

Since this lesson uses English as the instruction language, some differences are worth noting:

  • Pronoun Forms: English object pronouns are simpler, generally fixed, whereas Dutch frequently allows for variant forms in informal and formal settings, e.g., "mij" and "me," "jou" and "je."
  • Plural Object Pronouns: Dutch has more options for plural third-person object pronouns (e.g., "hen," "hun," "ze"), depending on function and emphasis, while English uses simply "them."
  • Usage of 'hun': Unlike English, Dutch pronoun "hun" is specifically reserved for indirect objects and should not be used as a subject.

Here are some useful related phrases:

  • Met mij — with me
  • Voor jou — for you
  • Aan hem — to him
  • Ik zie haar — I see her
  • We geven ze een cadeau — We give them a gift

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

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Kato De Paepe

Business and languages

KdG University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp

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Last Updated:

Friday, 18/07/2025 06:51