Dutch | Application | English
men | singular | one
Men (one)
When the subject is not specific, we can use _men_ (one). In Dutch, it is a rather formal form but still a lot more common than its English equivalent 'one'. It goes without saying that _men_ is a singular pronoun.
Men kan aangetekende postpakketten ook bij het postkantoor afhalen. | One can also pick up registered mail at the post office.
Bij het bezoeken van een moskee moet men zijn schoenen uitdoen. | When visiting a mosque, one has to remove one's shoes.
As you can see, the Dutch do not have a possessive pronoun for _men_. They simply use _zijn_ (his).
When 'they' is not clearly defined, the Dutch often use _men_. The Dutch can also use _ze_ (they). Both pronouns ( _men_ and _ze_) are equally correct. _Men_ is only a bit more formal than _ze_.
Draagt men in Nederland klompen? | Do they wear wooden shoes in Holland?
Dragen ze in Nederlands klompen? |
Men zegt dat de economie weer aantrekt. | They say that the economy is recovering.
Ze zeggen dat de economie weer aantrekt. |