We have separate words for marked and unmarked _me/mij_ (me), _je/jou_ (you), _ze/hun_ (them). In Flanders, they use unmarked _ze_ next to marked _haar_ (her). In the Netherlands, they only use _haar_.
_Hem_ (him), _ons_ (us), and _jullie_ (plural you) do not have separate words for marked and unmarked pronouns. If we want to stress _het_ (it) or inanimate _ze_ (them), we normally use a demonstrative pronoun.
For an explanation about how to place emphasis on a word, see [Marked and unmarked subject pronouns](#/lesson/Pronouns.Ps03).
English | Dutch - unmarked | Dutch - marked
me | me | mij
you | je | jou
her | haar [ze] | haar
it [ _het_-nouns] | het | dit, dat
See [demonstratives](#/lesson/Pronouns.De01)
it [ _de_-nouns] | hem | deze, die
See [demonstratives](#/lesson/Pronouns.De01)
them [persons] | ze | hun/hen
them [inanimate] | ze | [demonstrative](#/lesson/Pronouns.De01)
Examples
In the examples below, the part of the sentence that is stressed, is underlined.
Me and mij:
Unmarked | Ze zei het tegen me. | She said it to me.
Marked | Ze zei het tegen mij, niet tegen jou. | She said it to me not to you .
Je and jou:
Unmarked | Ik praat tegen je. | I am talking to you.
Marked | Ik praat tegen jou, niet tegen haar. | I am talking to you, not to her.
Ze and haar:
Unmarked [Flanders]\* | Ik heb ze een brief gestuurd. | I have sent her a letter.
Marked | Haar heb ik een brief gestuurd (niet hem). | I have sent a letter to her (not to him).
(\*) Recall that the Dutch do not have a separate unmarked form for _haar_ (her).
Het and dit/dat:
Unmarked | Ik wel het niet lezen. | I do not want to read it.
Marked | Dit wil ik niet zien (maar dat andere boek wil ik wél lezen). | This I do not want to read (but I would like to read that other book).
Hem and deze/die
Unmarked | Ik wel hem niet zien. | I do not want to see it.
Marked | Deze wil ik niet zien (maar die andere film wil ik wél zien). | This (one) I do not want to see (but I would like to see that other movie).
Recall that we only use a demonstrative pronoun ( _deze_ or _die_) if _hem_ refers to an inanimate object. For persons, the marked form is the same as the unmarked form (hem).
Ze and hun/hen (for persons):
Unmarked | Hij ging met ze mee. | He went with them.
Marked | Hij ging met hen mee in plaats van met ons. | He went with them instead of with us.
Ze and deze/die (inanimate):
Unmarked | [de schoenen]
Ik draag ze elke dag. | [the shoes]
I wear them every day.
Marked | [de schoenen]
Die draag ik elke dag. | [the shoes]
Those I wear every day.