In Dutch, a singular word for a group of people takes a singular verb (the verb form you use for one person or thing): _de politie is_, _het team speelt_, _het publiek klapt_. It does not matter how many people are in the group, because the noun itself is singular. _Mensen_ is different: it is a real plural, so you say _de mensen zijn_.
The pattern
A group noun in the singular (a word for a group, like _de politie_ or _het team_) takes a singular verb, however many people it refers to. _Mensen_ is the plural of _mens_, so its verb is plural.
- Use the same verb form as after _hij_ or _het_: _het team speelt_, just like _het speelt_ (see [the present tense](#/lesson/present-tense)).
- Common group nouns: _de politie_, _de familie_, _de regering_, _de gemeente_, _de klas_, _de jury_, _het team_, _het publiek_, _het personeel_, _het gezin_.
- More than one group? Make the noun plural and the verb follows: _de teams spelen_, _de klassen gaan_.
- Words that are already plural take a plural verb: _de mensen zijn_, _de ouders zijn_, _de buren zijn_.
Examples
| De politie is er al, dus je hoeft niet meer te bellen. | The police are already there, so you don't need to call anymore. |
|---|---|
| Het team speelt veel beter sinds Bas de nieuwe trainer is. | The team has been playing much better since Bas became the new coach. |
| Het publiek klapt zo hard dat Yara nog een liedje zingt. | The audience claps so loudly that Yara sings one more song. |
| De mensen zijn blij omdat de zon eindelijk weer schijnt. | People are happy because the sun is finally shining again. |
| Het personeel krijgt in december een cadeaubon van de directie. | The staff get a gift voucher from the management in December. |
| Mijn familie komt zondag, want Fatima is jarig. | My family is coming on Sunday, because it's Fatima's birthday. |
| De gemeente zegt dat de nieuwe fietsenstalling in mei opengaat. | The municipality says that the new bike parking opens in May. |
| Priya hoopt dat de jury vanavond niet te streng is. | Priya hopes that the jury won't be too strict tonight. |
| Beide teams spelen zaterdag thuis. | Both teams play at home on Saturday. |
Why it works this way
_Politie_ is grammatically singular, even when it refers to many officers, so _de politie_ takes a singular verb. Dutch follows the grammatical number of the noun, not the picture in your head: if forty officers turn up at your door, _de politie is er_. If you mean several groups, you need a plural noun: _de teams_, _de families_.
_Mensen_ is simply the plural of _een mens_ (a human being), just like _ouders_ and _buren_ are plurals (see [plurals with -en](#/lesson/plural-en)). That is why it takes _zijn_ and not _is_.
English is looser. British English often says "the team are" or "the staff are", and everyone says "the police are". German works like Dutch ("die Polizei ist"), so German speakers rarely struggle here. Spanish speakers need the opposite reminder: "la gente" is singular, but _mensen_ is plural.
In relaxed conversation you will sometimes hear a plural slip in, as in _Mijn familie komen ook_, usually when the speaker is thinking of the individual people. It is not standard, so in writing and careful speech, stick to the singular.
There is one grey zone: a group word followed by a plural noun. With _een aantal_, both forms are correct: _Een aantal collega's is ziek_ and _Een aantal collega's zijn ziek_. With _een groep_, as in _een groep toeristen_, you will also hear a plural verb, but the singular is the safe choice in careful speech and writing: _Een groep toeristen staat voor het station._
Remember: follow the grammar, not the headcount. A singular group noun such as _het team_ or _het publiek_ normally takes a singular verb, whether it means five players or fifty thousand fans.
Watch out
- Not: _De politie zijn er al._ Say: _De politie is er al._ (English says "the police are", but Dutch treats _politie_ as singular)
- Not: _Het personeel hebben morgen vrij._ Say: _Het personeel heeft morgen vrij._ (one group, one singular verb)
- Not: _Mijn familie wonen in Marokko._ Say: _Mijn familie woont in Marokko._ (a big family is still one _familie_)
- Not: _De mensen is erg vriendelijk._ Say: _De mensen zijn erg vriendelijk._ (_mensen_ is a plural, just like "people")
Quick check
- Choose _is_ or _zijn_: _Het publiek ... heel enthousiast._
- Choose _is_ or _zijn_: _De mensen in de trein ... moe na een lange dag._
- Fix the sentence: _De klas gaan morgen naar Utrecht._
- Fill in the correct form of _hebben_: _Ahmed zegt dat het team de wedstrijd gewonnen ..._
Answers
- _is_ (_het publiek_ is a singular group noun)
- _zijn_ (_mensen_ is a plural)
- _De klas gaat morgen naar Utrecht._ (_de klas_ takes a singular verb)
- _heeft_ (_het team_ is singular, also at the end of a subordinate clause)
Use it today
Read one Dutch news headline or a letter from your _gemeente_, find a group word such as _de politie_, _de regering_ or _het kabinet_, and check that its verb is singular. Then say one true sentence about a group in your own life, for example _Mijn team werkt vandaag thuis_.