---
title: "Werk jij? Where the t disappears"
level: A1
chapter: "Verbs now"
canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/jij-inversion
updated: 2026-10-08
author: Dutch Fluency
license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
---

# Werk jij? Where the t disappears

When _jij_ or _je_ is the subject (the person doing the action) and comes right after the verb, the verb loses its _-t_ ending. You say _jij werkt_, but _Werk jij morgen?_ and _Morgen werk je thuis_. With _hij_ and _u_ the _-t_ stays: _Werkt hij?_ _Werkt u?_

## The pattern

> If _jij_ or _je_ is the subject and follows the verb directly, drop the _-t_ ending. For most verbs this gives the same form as after _ik_: _ik werk_, so _Werk jij?_

- Yes or no questions: _Werk jij morgen?_
- Questions with a question word: _Waar woon je?_
- Inversion, which means the verb and the subject swap places because the sentence starts with something else, such as a time: _Morgen werk je thuis._ More in [Inversion](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/inversion).
- When _jij_ or _je_ comes before the verb, the _-t_ is back: _Jij werkt morgen._
- With _hij_, _zij_ (she), _u_, names and words like _je zus_ (your sister), the _-t_ stays: _Werkt hij?_ _Werkt u?_ _Werkt Sanne?_
- If the stem itself ends in t, that t stays: _eten_, _ik eet_, _Eet jij vis?_

## Examples

| Jij **werkt** bij de gemeente, toch? | You work for the municipality, right? |
| Fatima, **werk jij** morgen? | Fatima, are you working tomorrow? |
| Morgen **werk je** thuis. | Tomorrow you are working from home. |
| Waar **woon je**, Mei? | Where do you live, Mei? |
| **Fiets jij** naar je werk? | Do you cycle to work? |
| Hoe laat **begin je** vandaag? | What time do you start today? |
| **Eet jij** vis, Ahmed? | Do you eat fish, Ahmed? |
| **Werkt hij** vandaag? | Is he working today? |
| Mevrouw De Vries, **woont u** hier? | Mrs De Vries, do you live here? |
| **Werkt je zus** ook in Utrecht? | Does your sister work in Utrecht too? |

## Why it works this way

In English, a question with an ordinary verb such as "work" needs "do": Do you work? Dutch does not use a helper like that here. You simply put the verb first, as in Yes or no questions, and the verb changes shape a little.

A handy picture: the _-t_ is something the verb wears only when _jij_ stands in front of it. As soon as the verb jumps ahead of _jij_ or _je_, it takes the _-t_ off and goes back to the plain form you know from [the present tense](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/present-tense). So the question and the answer use the same verb form: _Werk jij morgen? Ja, ik werk morgen._

The same happens with other common verbs: _jij gaat_, but _Ga jij ook naar het feest?_ And _jij hebt_, but _Heb jij tijd?_ You will practise _hebben_ and _zijn_ in [the next lesson](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/zijn-and-hebben).

If you speak German, take care: German keeps the ending in Arbeitest du?, so the _-t_ easily sneaks back in.

Remember: verb first, then _jij_ or _je_? Drop the _-t_ ending, and you usually land on the _ik_ form.

## Watch out

- Not: _Werkt jij morgen?_ Say: _Werk jij morgen?_ (_jij_ comes right after the verb, so no _-t_)
- Not: _Morgen werkt je thuis._ Say: _Morgen werk je thuis._ (the sentence starts with a time, so _je_ follows the verb)
- Not: _Woon u in Utrecht?_ Say: _Woont u in Utrecht?_ (only _jij_ and _je_ drop the _-t_, _u_ keeps it)
- Not: _Spreek hij Nederlands?_ Say: _Spreekt hij Nederlands?_ (_hij_ keeps the _-t_)
- Not: _Werk je broer vandaag?_ Say: _Werkt je broer vandaag?_ (here _je_ means "your", and the subject is _je broer_, like _hij_)

## Quick check

1. Fill in the gap with _werken_: _... jij vandaag op kantoor?_
2. Choose _fiets_ or _fietst_: _Morgen ... Sanne naar het station._
3. Fill in the gap with _wonen_: _... u in Rotterdam?_
4. Fix the sentence: _Waar woont je?_

## Answers

1. _Werk_: _jij_ follows the verb, so the _-t_ drops.
2. _fietst_: _Sanne_ works like _zij_ (she), so the _-t_ stays.
3. _Woont_: _u_ keeps the _-t_.
4. _Waar woon je?_: _je_ comes right after the verb, so no _-t_.

## Use it today

Think of a new colleague or neighbour and write three questions for them, such as _Waar woon je?_, _Werk je morgen?_ and _Fiets je naar je werk?_ Read them aloud, check that no _-t_ sneaks in, and ask one of them for real this week.

## Questions learners ask

**Is it "werk jij" or "werkt jij" in Dutch?**

It is "werk jij". When jij or je (you) comes directly after the verb, in a question or after inversion, the verb drops its -t: Werk jij morgen? Morgen werk je thuis. When jij comes first, the t is there: jij werkt.

**Does the t also disappear with u or hij?**

No. Only jij and je as the subject make the -t drop. With hij, zij (she), u and names the t stays: Werkt hij? Werkt u? Werkt Sanne?

**Why is it "eet jij" with a t if the t disappears?**

In eten the t belongs to the stem (eet), so it is not an ending and it stays. The same goes for verbs like zitten and weten: Zit jij hier? Weet jij het?

From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.