Dutch uses object pronouns (words like me, him and us, for the person who receives the action) where English does: _Ik zie hem_ means I see him. You also use them for people after a preposition (a small word such as with or for), so you say _met mij_ and _voor hem_. One surprise: _hem_ also means it for most things that are de-words (nouns that take _de_): _Waar is de sleutel? Ik zie hem niet._
The pattern
If a pronoun receives the action, or refers to a person after a preposition, use the object form: _mij_, _jou_, _hem_, _haar_, _ons_.
- _ik_ gives _mij_ or _me_, and _jij_ gives _jou_ or _je_. The short forms are the everyday ones.
- _hij_ gives _hem_, _zij_ (she) gives _haar_, and _wij_ gives _ons_.
- _u_ and _jullie_ stay the same.
- _zij_ (they) gives _ze_ in most sentences, and _hen_ after a preposition (_met hen_). For _hen_ versus _hun_, see [Hen, hun or ze: them](#/lesson/hen-hun-ze).
- Things as a direct object: usually _hem_ for a de-word, _het_ for a het-word, _ze_ for plurals.
- Things after a preposition: Dutch usually uses _er_ plus the preposition, such as _ermee_ (with it) and _ervoor_ (for it), never _met het_. More in [Erop, ervan, daarmee](#/lesson/er-plus-preposition).
Examples
| Sanne belt me elke avond. | Sanne calls me every evening. |
|---|---|
| Ik zie je morgen op het werk. | I'll see you tomorrow at work. |
| Kan ik u helpen? | Can I help you? |
| Daan is ziek. Deze soep is voor hem. | Daan is ill. This soup is for him. |
| Waar is de sleutel? Ik zie hem niet. | Where is the key? I can't see it. |
| Waar is het boek? Ik zie het niet. | Where is the book? I can't see it. |
| Fatima is jarig. Ik bel haar vanavond. | It's Fatima's birthday. I'm calling her tonight. |
| Carlos fietst met ons naar het werk. | Carlos cycles to work with us. |
| Ik wacht op jullie bij het station. | I'm waiting for you at the station. |
| Mei en Bas? Ik zie ze vaak in de supermarkt. | Mei and Bas? I often see them in the supermarket. |
Why it works this way
English already switches from I to me and from we to us. Dutch does the same: _ik_ becomes _mij_, _wij_ becomes _ons_. It even changes _jij_ to _jou_, where English keeps you. Good news for German speakers: there is no "mich" versus "mir" split, because _mij_ does both jobs.
The short forms _me_ and _je_ are the light, everyday ones. Put stress on the word and you need _mij_ or _jou_: _Hij belt mij, niet jou._ After a preposition, you can use _mij_ and _jou_. When the pronoun is unstressed, _me_ and _je_ are also standard there, in speech and in writing: _voor me_, _op je_. See [Jij or je? Stressed and unstressed pronouns](#/lesson/stressed-unstressed).
Things copy the people pattern when they are the object. In the Netherlands, most de-words for things count as a _hij_ in everyday Dutch, so as an object they become _hem_. Some de-words, mostly abstract ones ending in _-ing_ or _-heid_, can also take _zij_ and _haar_, especially in writing. A het-word stays _het_. More in [Hij, het or zij for things](#/lesson/it-for-things).
Remember: to Dutch ears, your key is a he. If _de sleutel_ is a _hij_, you look for _hem_.
Watch out
- Not: _De sleutel? Ik zie het niet._ Say: _De sleutel? Ik zie hem niet._ (_de sleutel_ is a de-word for a thing, so _hem_)
- Not: _Dit is voor jij._ Say: _Dit is voor jou._ (after a preposition, use the object form)
- Not: _Ik bel zij vanavond._ Say: _Ik bel haar vanavond._ (_zij_ does the action, _haar_ receives it)
- Not: _Mij en Daan gaan fietsen._ Say: _Daan en ik gaan fietsen._ (the doer needs _ik_, and _ik_ usually goes last)
- Not: _De appels? Ik neem het._ Say: _De appels? Ik neem ze._ (for plural things, use _ze_)
Quick check
- Fill in: _Waar is mijn fiets? Ik zie ... niet._
- Choose: _Deze bloemen zijn voor (jij / jou)._
- Fill in the form of _wij_: _Kom je zaterdag bij ... eten?_
- Fix the sentence: _Ahmed is mijn buurman. Ik zie hij elke dag._
Answers
- _hem_ (_de fiets_ is a de-word for a thing, so _hem_)
- _jou_ (_voor_ is a preposition, so you need the object form)
- _ons_ (after _bij_, _wij_ becomes _ons_)
- _Ik zie hem elke dag._ (Ahmed receives the action, so _hij_ becomes _hem_)
Use it today
At the supermarket today, comment on three things as you pick them up: one de-word, one het-word and one plural. For example: _De kaas? Ik neem hem. Het brood? Ik neem het. De tomaten? Ik neem ze._