Dutch Subject Pronouns: ik, jij, hij, wij — and When to Use u — A1 Dutch Grammar Course, Lesson 2 | My Dutch Journal

Dutch Subject Pronouns: ik, jij, hij, wij — and When to Use u | A1 Dutch, Lesson 2

July 4, 2026

Chef Smakelijk — the My Dutch Journal mascot

Welcome to lesson two of the A1 Dutch Grammar Course. In this lesson, we are going to learn about subject pronouns. In Dutch, we call them persoonlijke voornaamwoorden. In this lesson, we focus on the subject forms. You will use these words in almost every Dutch sentence you speak or write. They tell us who or what the sentence is about. In many sentences, they also show who does the action. By the end of this lesson, you will know the nine basic Dutch subject pronouns and when to use each one.

A pronoun replaces a name

A subject pronoun is a word that replaces the subject of a sentence — often a name or a noun. Instead of repeating a name every time, we use a short word. Lena becomes zij. Marco becomes hij. Lena en Marco together become zij — the plural they. Notice that zij appears twice here, for both she and they. Context always makes clear which one is meant. These are subject pronouns. They show who or what the sentence is about.

Persoonlijke voornaamwoorden — overzicht

Here are all nine Dutch subject pronouns. Ik — I. Jij — you, singular. U — also you, but formal. Hij — he. Zij — she. Het — it, used for het-words. For now, remember het as it. Later, when we learn de-words and het-words, you will see that not every English it becomes het in Dutch. Wij — we. Jullie — you plural, when you are talking to more than one person. And zij again — this time meaning they. Three pronouns appear with a short form in parentheses: jij has je, zij has ze, and wij has we. We will look at those carefully in just a moment.

Nederlands	(korte vorm)	English
ik	—	I
jij	(je)	you — singular
u	—	you — formal
hij	—	he
zij	(ze)	she
het	—	it — used for het-words
wij	(we)	we
jullie	—	you — plural
zij	(ze)	they

Subject pronouns in sentences

Let's see the pronouns in real sentences. In a basic Dutch sentence, the subject pronoun often comes first. It shows who or what the sentence is about. Ik studeer in Amsterdam — I study in Amsterdam. Jij werkt bij een bank — you work at a bank. Hij heet Marco — his name is Marco. Zij woont in Den Haag — she lives in The Hague. Wij komen uit Turkije — we come from Turkey. Jullie leren heel snel — you all learn very fast. Zij wonen in Rotterdam — they live in Rotterdam. Do not worry about the verb endings for now — those come in the next lessons. For this lesson, focus on recognising and using the right pronoun.

Lange en korte vormen

Three Dutch pronouns have two forms — a long form and a short form. Jij or je for you singular. Zij or ze for she, and also for they. Wij or we for we. The long form is the stressed form — you use it when you want to emphasise or contrast something. Jij hebt het gedaan, niet ik — YOU did it, not me. The short form is unstressed — it is the natural choice in everyday speech when there is no special emphasis: je werkt morgen toch? In many normal sentences, both forms are possible. But when you want emphasis or contrast, use the long form.

u — de beleefde vorm

Dutch has a formal version of you: u. You use u when speaking to someone you do not know, a customer, an older person, a doctor, or an official — anyone in a formal situation. You use jij or je with friends, family, children, and people you know well. To a friend: jij woont hier toch — you live here, right? But to a neighbour you are meeting for the first time: goedemiddag, meneer. Woont u ook in deze straat? — good afternoon. Do you live on this street too? A small spelling note: in modern Dutch, the normal spelling is lowercase: u. You may sometimes see a capital U in very formal writing, but lowercase is standard today. When you are not sure, u is usually the safest and most polite choice.

Twee regels om te onthouden

Two simple rules to carry with you. First: when you have a choice between the short and the long form — je or jij, ze or zij, we or wij — the short forms are very common in everyday speech when there is no special emphasis. Use the long forms when you want emphasis, contrast, or extra clarity. Second: between jij and u — choose jij or je with people you know, and u with strangers or in formal situations. These two rules will help you sound natural in Dutch from day one.

Wat heb je geleerd?

Here is what we covered in this lesson. Dutch has nine basic subject pronouns — ik, jij, u, hij, zij, het, wij, jullie, zij. In this lesson, we used them as subjects — the person, group, or thing the sentence is about — and in a basic sentence they often come first. Three of them come in two versions: jij or je, zij or ze, wij or we. In everyday speech, the short form is usually the natural choice when there is no special emphasis. But when you want emphasis, contrast, or extra clarity, use the long form. And u is the formal way to say you — usually the safest and most polite choice when you are not sure. These nine pronouns are the foundation of everything that follows in Dutch grammar. You will use them in every single lesson from here on.

Practice What You Learned

Reading about grammar is step one — using it is what makes it stick. In My Dutch Journal Academy you can watch the full video of this lesson, do interactive exercises that check your answers instantly, and practise all the vocabulary from the A1 course.