Dutch has three ways to say "them". In careful, standard Dutch you use _hen_ for the direct object and after a preposition (_Ik zie hen_, _met hen_), and _hun_ for the indirect object, which usually means "to them" (_Ik geef hun een boek_). In everyday speech most people simply say _ze_, which works in almost every object position and saves you the headache.
The pattern
In standard Dutch, "them" is _hen_ as a direct object or after a preposition, and _hun_ as an indirect object. In everyday speech, _ze_ does both jobs.
- Direct object, the person the action is done to: _Ik zie hen. Ik bel hen morgen._
- After any preposition: _met hen, voor hen, bij hen, aan hen._
- Indirect object, usually the person who receives something (English can often add "to" or "for"): _Ik geef hun een boek. Ik stuur hun een mail._
- Spoken Dutch, unstressed: _Ik zie ze. Ik geef ze een boek._
- As the subject, "they" is _zij_ or _ze_. _Hun hebben_ is common in speech but not standard.
- _Hen_ and _hun_ refer to people. For things, use _ze_ (more in [Hij, het or zij for things](#/lesson/it-for-things)).
Examples
| Daan en Sanne? Ik zie hen elke ochtend op het station. | Daan and Sanne? I see them at the station every morning. |
|---|---|
| Als mijn ouders in december komen, ga ik met hen naar Maastricht. | When my parents come in December, I'll go to Maastricht with them. |
| De buren hebben op mijn kat gepast, dus ik geef hun een fles wijn. | The neighbours looked after my cat, so I'm giving them a bottle of wine. |
| Kun je hun even vertellen dat de vergadering om tien uur begint? | Could you tell them that the meeting starts at ten? |
| Ik heb ze net in de supermarkt gezien. | I just saw them in the supermarket. |
| Heb je ze al een appje gestuurd over vrijdag? | Have you sent them a message about Friday yet? |
| Ik heb hen uitgenodigd, niet jullie. | I invited them, not you. |
| Priya en Joris zijn ziek, dus zij komen vandaag niet. | Priya and Joris are ill, so they aren't coming today. |
Why it works this way
Think of _hun_ as "them" with an invisible "to" or "for" built in. Most of the time it marks the receivers: the people who get something, are told something or have something done for them. You can usually say the same thing with _aan_ or _voor_, and as soon as that preposition appears, you switch back to _hen_:
- _Ik geef hun de sleutel._ / _Ik geef de sleutel aan hen._
- _Mei bakt hun een taart._ / _Mei bakt een taart voor hen._
- _Ik bel hen._ (they do not receive anything, so _hen_)
Remember: _hun_ is usually a receiver that has swallowed its _aan_ or _voor_. Once you can see a preposition, write _hen_.
The hook does not work in reverse. Many verbs come with a fixed preposition that you can never drop, such as _denken aan_ or _wachten op_: _Ik denk aan hen_ never becomes _Ik denk hun_. The real rule is simpler: _hun_ is the indirect object without a preposition. That is most often a receiver, with verbs like _geven_, _sturen_, _vertellen_ or _laten zien_, but a few common verbs use _hun_ for the people something happens to: _Dat lukt hun niet_ (they won't manage that), _Het nieuwe huis bevalt hun goed_ (they like the new house). Keep the preposition wherever the verb needs it (see [Verbs with a fixed preposition](#/lesson/verbs-with-prepositions)).
If the rule feels artificial, that is because it is. Grammarians introduced the split in the seventeenth century, and it never fully reached everyday speech. Native speakers mix up _hen_ and _hun_ too, even in writing. So the spoken language uses _ze_: short, unstressed and fine as both a direct and an indirect object.
_Ze_ has limits, though. It is the unstressed form (see [Jij or je?](#/lesson/stressed-unstressed)), so it cannot carry emphasis: in _Ik heb hen uitgenodigd, niet jullie_ you need _hen_. After a preposition, _met ze_ is heard in casual speech but looks sloppy in writing.
_Hun_ as a subject (_Hun hebben gewonnen_) is very common in casual speech in the Netherlands, but it is not standard Dutch and many listeners hear it as uneducated. In writing, at work and in exams, use _zij_ or _ze_. The possessive _hun_ (their, as in _hun fietsen_) is perfectly correct; only the subject use is a problem.
Watch out
- Not: _Hun hebben de trein gemist._ Say: _Ze hebben de trein gemist._ (_hun_ is never a subject in standard Dutch)
- Not: _Ik ga met hun naar de markt._ Say: _Ik ga met hen naar de markt._ (after any preposition: _hen_, even where German has "ihnen")
- Not: _Ik help hun zaterdag met verhuizen._ Say: _Ik help hen zaterdag met verhuizen._ (_helpen_ takes a direct object, unlike German "helfen")
- Not: _De sleutels? Ik zie hen nergens._ Say: _De sleutels? Ik zie ze nergens._ (_hen_ and _hun_ are for people, not things)
- Not: _Ik heb hen een kaartje gestuurd._ Say: _Ik heb hun een kaartje gestuurd._ (a card to them, so _hun_ in careful Dutch)
Quick check
- Choose: _Ahmed en Yara? Ik heb gisteren met ... gegeten._ (_hen_ / _hun_)
- Choose: _Kun jij ... het nieuwe rooster mailen?_ (_hen_ / _hun_)
- Choose: _Lotte en Carlos hebben ons enorm geholpen. Ik wil ... graag bedanken._ (_hen_ / _hun_)
- Choose: _Mijn handschoenen? Ik heb ... in de trein laten liggen._ (_hen_ / _ze_)
Answers
- _hen_: after a preposition, always _hen_.
- _hun_: they receive the schedule, and the "to" is hidden.
- _hen_: you thank them directly; _bedanken_ takes a direct object.
- _ze_: gloves are things, and _hen_ and _hun_ are for people.
Use it today
Think of two people you will see this week, such as your neighbours or two colleagues. Write three sentences about them: one with _hen_ (_Ik zie hen morgen_), one with a preposition (_Ik lunch met hen_) and one with _hun_ (_Ik stuur hun een berichtje_). Then say all three out loud with _ze_, the way you would in a casual conversation.