Dutch has nine subject pronouns, the words for I, you, he, she, it, we and they: _ik_, _jij_ (or _je_), _u_, _hij_, _zij_ (or _ze_), _het_, _wij_ (or _we_), _jullie_ and _zij_ (or _ze_). Yes, _zij_ appears twice: it means both she and they. The verb tells you which one: _zij is_ means she is, _zij zijn_ means they are.
The pattern
Every person has its own pronoun, and three have a short form. _Zij_ means she with a singular verb (for one person) and they with a plural verb (for more than one).
- _ik_: I
- _jij_ or _je_: you (one person, informal)
- _u_: you (polite, one person or more)
- _hij_: he
- _zij_ or _ze_: she
- _het_: it
- _wij_ or _we_: we
- _jullie_: you (two or more people)
- _zij_ or _ze_: they
The long forms _jij_, _zij_ and _wij_ add emphasis. In everyday speech you mostly hear _je_, _ze_ and _we_ (more in [Jij or je?](#/lesson/stressed-unstressed)). _U_ is the polite you for strangers and official situations, like at the GP ([U or jij](#/lesson/u-or-jij)). For things, Dutch often uses _hij_ instead of _het_: see [Hij, het or zij for things](#/lesson/it-for-things).
Examples
| Ik ben Daan. Ben jij Priya? | I'm Daan. Are you Priya? |
|---|---|
| Heeft u een afspraak? | Do you have an appointment? |
| Hij fietst naar zijn werk. | He cycles to work. |
| Zij is mijn buurvrouw. | She is my neighbour. |
| Zij zijn mijn buren. | They are my neighbours. |
| Ze werkt bij de gemeente. | She works for the municipality. |
| Ze werken bij de gemeente. | They work for the municipality. |
| Het is koud vandaag. | It is cold today. |
| We gaan naar de supermarkt. | We are going to the supermarket. |
| Komen jullie ook? | Are you all coming too? |
Why it works this way
Dutch verbs change their ending to fit the subject, much like English is and are. With she, the verb gets a _-t_ or a singular form: _ze werkt_, _ze is_, _ze heeft_. With they, it gets _-en_ or a plural form: _ze werken_, _ze zijn_, _ze hebben_. The verb already carries the information, so one pronoun can do two jobs. Context helps too: if you were just talking about Fatima, _ze_ is almost certainly her.
_Jullie_ follows the plural pattern (_jullie werken_), while _u_ takes a singular verb form, even when you speak to a group (_u werkt_, _u bent_). You will find all the endings in [The present tense](#/lesson/present-tense).
Remember: _zij_ alone is a riddle, and the verb is the answer. A _-t_ or _is_ means she; _-en_ or _zijn_ means they.
Watch out
- Not: _Ahmed? Is vandaag ziek._ Say: _Ahmed? Hij is vandaag ziek._ (unlike Spanish or Arabic, Dutch needs the subject)
- Not: _Daan en Ik wonen in Utrecht._ Say: _Daan en ik wonen in Utrecht._ (_ik_ only gets a capital at the start of a sentence)
- Not: _Sanne en Bas, jij bent te laat!_ Say: _Sanne en Bas, jullie zijn te laat!_ (English you covers both; Dutch uses _jullie_ for a group)
- Not: _Fatima? Zij zijn mijn collega._ Say: _Fatima? Zij is mijn collega._ (one person, so _is_; _zij zijn_ means they are)
Quick check
- You are talking to Sanne and Bas. Fill in: _Waar wonen ...?_
- Choose: _Lotte is ziek. Ze (is / zijn) thuis._
- Choose: _Joris en Yara? Ze (fietst / fietsen) naar het station._
- Fill in the polite word for you: _Werkt ... ook op vrijdag?_
Answers
- _jullie_ (two people, and _wonen_ is the plural verb)
- _is_ (Lotte is one person, so _ze_ means she)
- _fietsen_ (two people, so _ze_ means they and the verb ends in _-en_)
- _u_ (the polite you, with the singular verb _werkt_)
Use it today
On the train or in the supermarket, describe three people around you in your head: one sentence with _hij_, one with _ze is_ and one with _ze zijn_, such as _Ze zijn moe._