---
title: "Mine and yours: van mij and de mijne"
level: B1
chapter: "Pronouns"
canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/mine-and-yours
updated: 2026-10-08
author: Dutch Fluency
license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
---

# Mine and yours: van mij and de mijne

To say "mine", "yours" or "his" in Dutch, you normally use _van_ plus a pronoun: _Die fiets is van mij._ To replace a noun you have just mentioned, say _die van mij_, or use _de mijne_ or _het mijne_, which take the same article (the word for "the") as that noun: _Is dit jouw jas? Nee, de mijne hangt daar._

## The pattern

> To say who something belongs to, use _van_ plus a pronoun: _Die fiets is van mij._ To replace a noun, use _die van mij_ or _de mijne_, with the same article as the noun.

- After _is_ and _zijn_: _van mij_, _van jou_, _van hem_, _van haar_, _van ons_, _van u_, _van jullie_, _van hen_. These are object pronouns, the forms you also use after words like _met_ and _voor_.
- To replace a noun in everyday speech: _die van mij_ for nouns with _de_ and for all plurals, _dat van mij_ for nouns with _het_. This also works with names: _die van Bas_.
- The shorter stand-in: _de mijne_ for nouns with _de_ and for plurals, _het mijne_ for nouns with _het_. The other forms follow the same pattern: _de jouwe_, _de zijne_, _de hare_, _de onze_, _de uwe_, _de hunne_.
- _Jullie_ has no such form, so you say _die van jullie_.

## Examples

| Die blauwe fiets is **van mij**. | That blue bike is mine. |
| Pardon, is deze handschoen **van u**? | Excuse me, is this glove yours? |
| De sleutels op tafel zijn **van hem**, niet **van haar**. | The keys on the table are his, not hers. |
| Mijn telefoon is leeg. Mag ik **die van jou** even gebruiken? | My phone is dead. Can I use yours for a minute? |
| Ons huis is klein, maar **dat van Yara** heeft een tuin. | Our house is small, but Yara's has a garden. |
| Is dit jouw jas? Nee, **de mijne** hangt daar. | Is this your coat? No, mine is hanging over there. |
| Omdat mijn buurman zijn paraplu vergeten was, heb ik hem **de mijne** geleend. | Because my neighbour had forgotten his umbrella, I lent him mine. |
| Fatima en Carlos vinden hun huis te klein, maar **het onze** is nog kleiner. | Fatima and Carlos think their house is too small, but ours is even smaller. |
| Onze kinderen fietsen naar school. Gaan **de jouwe** met de bus? | Our kids cycle to school. Do yours take the bus? |

## Why it works this way

_Mijn_, _jouw_ and _zijn_ are like English "my", "your" and "his": they cannot stand alone, a noun has to follow (see [possessive pronouns](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/possessive-pronouns)). English switches to a second set of words when the noun disappears. Everyday Dutch simply reuses _van_, the same word it uses with names. If you can say _Deze fiets is van Daan_, you can say _Deze fiets is van mij_.

_De mijne_ works differently: the noun drops out, but its article stays behind to show which noun you mean. Compare these two answers:

- _Is dat jouw boek? Nee, het mijne ligt thuis._ (_het boek_)
- _Is dat jouw tas? Nee, de mijne ligt thuis._ (_de tas_)

Remember: _de mijne_ behaves like _de blauwe_. Ask _Welke jas?_ and you can answer _De blauwe_ or _De mijne_: the noun disappears, the article stays, and the word gets an _-e_, just like adjectives used as nouns.

Both _die van mij_ and _de mijne_ are good standard Dutch. _Die van mij_ is the most common in relaxed conversation, while _de mijne_ is shorter and sounds a little more careful. After _is_, stay with _van mij_: _Deze jas is de mijne_ is correct, but it sounds like a line from a costume drama. In speech you will often hear _die is van hun_; in writing, _van hen_ is the standard form (more in [hen, hun or ze](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/hen-hun-ze)).

## Watch out

- Not: _Die fiets is mijn._ Say: _Die fiets is van mij._ (_mijn_ needs a noun after it, like "my")
- Not: _Sanne is een collega van mijn._ Say: _Sanne is een collega van mij._ ("a colleague of mine" still uses _mij_ after _van_)
- Not: _Is dit jouw jas? Nee, het mijne hangt daar._ Say: _Nee, de mijne hangt daar._ (it replaces _de jas_)
- Not: _Jouw huis is groter dan die van mij._ Say: _Jouw huis is groter dan dat van mij._ (it replaces _het huis_)
- Not: _Ik ben de mijn vergeten._ Say: _Ik ben de mijne vergeten._ (this stand-in always ends in _-e_)

## Quick check

1. Fill in the pronoun: _Is die laptop van je zus? Ja, die is van ..._
2. Choose: _Mijn fiets staat bij het station. Waar staat (de jouwe / het jouwe)?_
3. Choose: _Ons huis heeft geen balkon, maar (die / dat) van Sanne wel._
4. Fix the sentence: _Lotte is een goede vriendin van mijn._

## Answers

1. _haar_ (your sister is the owner, and after _van_ the object form _haar_ follows)
2. _de jouwe_ (it replaces _de fiets_)
3. _dat_ (it replaces _het huis_)
4. _Lotte is een goede vriendin van mij._ (after _van_ comes _mij_, never _mijn_)

## Use it today

Next time mugs, coats or chargers get mixed up at work or at home, ask _Is deze van jou?_ Then answer at least once with _Nee, de mijne is blauw_ or _Die van mij ligt daar_.

## Questions learners ask

**How do you say "mine" in Dutch?**

In everyday Dutch you say van mij: "Die fiets is van mij" means "That bike is mine." You cannot say "Die fiets is mijn", because mijn always needs a noun after it.

**What is the difference between de mijne and het mijne?**

Both mean "mine" and replace a noun. Use de mijne for nouns with de and for plurals (de jas, de mijne), and het mijne for nouns with het (het boek, het mijne).

**Is "die van mij" correct Dutch?**

Yes, it is correct and very common in everyday speech, for example "Mag ik die van jou even gebruiken?" Use die for de-words and plurals, and dat for het-words, as in "dat van mij".

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