The pattern
If a pronoun receives the action, or refers to a person after a preposition, use the object form: mij, jou, hem, haar, ons.
- ik gives mij or me, and jij gives jou or je. The short forms are the everyday ones.
- hij gives hem, zij (she) gives haar, and wij gives ons.
- u and jullie stay the same.
- zij (they) gives ze in most sentences, and hen after a preposition (met hen). For hen versus hun, see Hen, hun or ze: them.
- Things as a direct object: usually hem for a de-word, het for a het-word, ze for plurals.
- Things after a preposition: Dutch usually uses er plus the preposition, such as ermee (with it) and ervoor (for it), never met het. More in Erop, ervan, daarmee.
Examples
| Sanne belt me elke avond. | Sanne calls me every evening. |
| Ik zie je morgen op het werk. | I'll see you tomorrow at work. |
| Kan ik u helpen? | Can I help you? |
| Daan is ziek. Deze soep is voor hem. | Daan is ill. This soup is for him. |
| Waar is de sleutel? Ik zie hem niet. | Where is the key? I can't see it. |
| Waar is het boek? Ik zie het niet. | Where is the book? I can't see it. |
| Fatima is jarig. Ik bel haar vanavond. | It's Fatima's birthday. I'm calling her tonight. |
| Carlos fietst met ons naar het werk. | Carlos cycles to work with us. |
| Ik wacht op jullie bij het station. | I'm waiting for you at the station. |
| Mei en Bas? Ik zie ze vaak in de supermarkt. | Mei and Bas? I often see them in the supermarket. |
Why it works this way
English already switches from I to me and from we to us. Dutch does the same: ik becomes mij, wij becomes ons. It even changes jij to jou, where English keeps you. Good news for German speakers: there is no "mich" versus "mir" split, because mij does both jobs.
The short forms me and je are the light, everyday ones. Put stress on the word and you need mij or jou: Hij belt mij, niet jou. After a preposition, you can use mij and jou. When the pronoun is unstressed, me and je are also standard there, in speech and in writing: voor me, op je. See Jij or je? Stressed and unstressed pronouns.
Things copy the people pattern when they are the object. In the Netherlands, most de-words for things count as a hij in everyday Dutch, so as an object they become hem. Some de-words, mostly abstract ones ending in -ing or -heid, can also take zij and haar, especially in writing. A het-word stays het. More in Hij, het or zij for things.
Remember: to Dutch ears, your key is a he. If de sleutel is a hij, you look for hem.
Watch out
NotDe sleutel? Ik zie het niet.
SayDe sleutel? Ik zie hem niet.
de sleutel is a de-word for a thing, so hem
NotDit is voor jij.
SayDit is voor jou.
after a preposition, use the object form
NotIk bel zij vanavond.
SayIk bel haar vanavond.
zij does the action, haar receives it
NotMij en Daan gaan fietsen.
SayDaan en ik gaan fietsen.
the doer needs ik, and ik usually goes last
NotDe appels? Ik neem het.
SayDe appels? Ik neem ze.
for plural things, use ze
Quick check
- Fill in: Waar is mijn fiets? Ik zie ... niet.
- Choose: Deze bloemen zijn voor (jij / jou).
- Fill in the form of wij: Kom je zaterdag bij ... eten?
- Fix the sentence: Ahmed is mijn buurman. Ik zie hij elke dag.
Show the answers
- hem (de fiets is a de-word for a thing, so hem)
- jou (voor is a preposition, so you need the object form)
- ons (after bij, wij becomes ons)
- Ik zie hem elke dag. (Ahmed receives the action, so hij becomes hem)
Use it today
At the supermarket today, comment on three things as you pick them up: one de-word, one het-word and one plural. For example: De kaas? Ik neem hem. Het brood? Ik neem het. De tomaten? Ik neem ze.