Dutch Vocabulary: Personal Pronouns

Personal Pronouns

Please note that the Dutch word for you in the singular (jij, je) is different from you in the plural (jullie.) Dutch also frequently uses the polite form of you: 'U,' to older people or other people deserving respect; it should also be used when addressing people in a subservient position, like sales clerks or hotel and restaurant staff. This 'U' is rarely used in the plural.

See & Hear Also
The dative form of 'ze' is 'hun' "Give it to them."
'Jou' and 'jouw' are pronounced exactly the same, both end in a Dutch W sound; but 'U' and 'Uw' should not sound the same, there is NO Dutch W sound in 'U.'
(...) - acceptable variation
*[...]* - heavy slang
'het' (it) is not used as much as in English; only for the abstract, like
"'t Is mooi weer" -hear- (it's nice weather) or
"Het is tien uur," -hear- (It's ten o'clock.)
"It is said that ..." is best said in Dutch as "Men zegt dat ..." - hear
(Dutch 'men' is an occasional 'they'.)
Sample Sentences

Second Person Singular: 'Je'

For Dutchmen, 'je' is not completely interchangeable with 'jij' and 'jou(w)', but it's an almost inexplainable fine point. Maybe only in the stressed vocative (address) you can't use 'je':
Hé, jij daar! - Hey, you there!

Reflexive Verbs - Newer Version

zich wassen to wash oneself ik was me I wash myself ik waste me I washed myself ik heb me gewassen I have washed myself We hadden ons goed gewassen 2 We had washed ourselves well

Wikipedia says that (loosely defined) with reflexive verbs the subject -- (het) onderwerp -- is the same as the object -- (het) lijdend voorwerp 2 -- for example: 'I wash myself.' wederkerende werkwoorden 2 3 'reflexive verbs' - 'wederkeren' is an old-fashioned word meaning 'to return' and here it is in the sense of 'doubling back.' The modern word for 'to return' is 'terugkeren' 2 - (de) terugkeer '(the) return' In the infinitve of reflexive verbs Dutch uses the reflexive pronoun zich 'yourself, oneself' - or occasionally zichzelf 2 The Reflexive Pronouns

zich verdedigen 2 3 to defend oneself zich verdedigen to defend oneself ik verdedig me I defend myself jij verdedigt je you defend yourself (singular, informal you) hij verdedigt zich he defends himself zij verdedigt zich she defends herself wij verdedigen ons we defend ourselves jullie verdedigen je you defend yourselves (plural, informal you) zij verdedigen zich they defend themselves U verdedigt zich you defend yourself (polite you)

zichzelf zien 2 3 'to see oneself' zichzelf zien to see oneself ik zie mezelf I see myself jij ziet jezelf you see yourself hij ziet zichzelf he sees himself zij ziet zichzelf she sees herself wij zien onszelf we see ourselves jullie zien jezelf y'all see yourselves zij zien zichzelf they see themselves U ziet Uzelf U ziet zichzelf you see youself

Hij heeft zich goed verdedigd	He [has] defended himself well
Ik heb mezelf gezien 2 Ik heb mezelf op TV gezien 2 3	I have seen myself I have seen myself on television

The Reflexive Pronouns

English Nominative	I	singular you	he	she
Dutch Nominative	ik	jij / je	hij	zij / ze
Dutch Reflexive	me mezelf	je jezelf	zich zichzelf	zich zichzelf
English Nominative	we	plural you	they	polite you
Dutch Nominative	wij / we	jullie	zij / ze	U
Dutch Reflexive	ons onszelf	je jezelf	zich zichzelf	zich zichzelf Uzelf 2

The verbs in the examples above have the same subject and object, but it's not necessarily so. These verbs can have other objects and still have the same meaning, like in the sentences below:

Ik was de ramen 2 Ik was de hond 2	I'm washing the windows I'm washing the dog - theoretically the Dutch line could also mean 'I was the dog' (in a play or a dream)
Ik zag de sterren Heb je haar gezicht gezien? 2 Ik heb hem in geen jaren gezien 2	I saw the stars Have you seen her face? [I have seen him in no years] I haven't seen him in years - more seeing
Ze verdedigde haar proefschrift Ik verdedig mijn standpunt 2 Hij verdedigde zijn land Wij verdedigen ons land 2	She defended her thesis I'm defending my viewpoint He was defending his country We're defending our country
another example: Hij hoefde zich niet te bewijzen. Ze konden het niet bewijzen 2	He didn't have to prove himself. They couldn't prove it

Reflexive Verbs?

overgeven 2 zich overgeven 2 to throw up, to vomit to surrender

Ik moest overgeven Ik moest me overgeven 2 3 I had to throw up I had to surrender

zich herinneren to remember zich herinneren to remember ik herinner me I remember jij herinnert je you remember hij herinnert zich he remembers zij herinnert zich she remembers wij herinneren ons we remember jullie herinneren je y'all remember zij herinneren zich they remember U herinnert zich you remember

zich vergissen 2 3 to be mistaken zich vergissen to be mistaken ik vergis me I am mistaken jij vergist je you are mistaken hij vergist zich he is mistaken zij vergist zich she is mistaken wij vergissen ons we are mistaken jullie vergissen je yinz are mistaken U vergist zich you are mistaken

As mentioned above, the verbs in this group either always come with a reflexive pronoun or have a different meaning without the reflexive pronoun, and they can have another object than the reflexive pronoun - to me, the reflexive pronoun doesn't look like an object for these verbs (but I'm not a grammarian.)

Ik herinnerde me hem goed 2	I rememberered him well (I had a clear picture of him in my mind)
But: Ik herinnerde hem aan z'n belofte 2	I reminded him [of? about? his promise] that he'd made a promise
But: Ik herinnerde hem aan de afspraak	I reminded him of the agreement, that there was an agreement
Ik herinner me 't niet. 2 Nou herinner ik 't me weer. 2	I don't remember [it.] Now I remember [it] [again.]
Ik kan me 't niet herinneren. 2 (Ik kan 't me niet herinneren. )	I [can't] don't remember [it.]
Ik kan me vergissen 2 3 4 We hebben ons vergist 2 Jullie hebben je in hem vergist 2 (de) vergissing	'I [can] may be mistaken' 'We were mistaken' 'You guys were mistaken about him' 'honest mistake'

zich vervelen to be bored ik verveel me I'm bored jij verveelt je you're bored hij verveelt zich he's bored zij verveelt zich she' bored wij vervelen ons we're bored jullie vervelen je youse are bored zij vervelen zich they're bored U verveelt zich you're bored

voelen to feel ik voel I feel ik voelde I felt ik heb gevoeld I have felt 2 zich voelen to feel ('inside') ik voel me I feel ik voelde me I felt ik heb me gevoeld I have felt 2

Verveel je je? But: Verveel ik je? 2 3	Are you bored? (singular informal) Am I boring you? Do I bore you?
Verveelt U zich? Ik verveel me nooit 2 Ik verveel me te pletter 2 3 Heb je je erg verveeld? 2 Ik heb me niet verveeld 2 3	Are you bored? (polite) 'I'm never bored' 'I'm bored stiff' ['crushed by boredom'] 'Were you very bored?' 'I was not bored'

(vervelend / vervelende 2)

't Blijft vervelend 2 Wat vervelend! Wat vervelend nou! 2 3 een vervelende man 2 een vervelende situatie 2

[It remains unpleasant] It's still annoying How unpleasant! How unpleasant! [now] an unpleasant (male) person an unpleasant situation

English 'to feel' can (among other things) refer both to feelings 'inside' a person and to sensations felt on the skin. For the 'internal feelings' Dutch uses the reflexive verb zich voelen and for what's felt on the skin Dutch uses the 'regular' verb voelen 2

Hoe voel je je? 2 Ik voel me zo vol. 2 Ik voel me niet lekker Voel je je beter? 2 Ik had me nog nooit zo ziek gevoeld 2 3	How are you feeling? [I feel so full] I've eaten too much. I don't feel well - Medical Are you feeling better? I had never before felt that sick
But: Ik voelde de regen op m'n gezicht 2	I felt the rain on my face
Voel hoe zacht de stof is! 2 3	Feel how soft the fabric is!

zich aanstellen 2	to behave in an exaggerated manner, usually childish, out of touch with reality
Stel je niet aan! 2 Hij stelt zich aan 2	Don't exaggerate, don't be childish (patronizing) He's exaggerating, behaving like a child
zich voorstellen 2	1. to introduce oneself 2. to imagine
Ik stelde me voor 2	1. I introduced myself 2. I imagined ...
Stel je voor ... 2	Imagine ... (with another intonation it could also mean: "Introduce yourself!")
Mag ik me even voorstellen? 2 Stel je voor dat er geen auto's zouden zijn! 2 Stel je voor dat er geen auto's waren! 2	Allow me to introduce myself. Imagine that there would be no cars! Imagine that there were no cars!
zich zorgen maken 2 Maak je geen zorgen over mij.	to worry Don't worry about me.
zich afvragen Ik vraag me wel eens af ... 2 Ik vraag me af of ... 2	to wonder I wonder if ...' 'Sometimes I wonder ...'
zich haasten Haast je als je de tijd hebt, dan heb je de tijd als je haast hebt.	to hurry 'Hurry when you have time, then you'll have time when you're in a hurry.' ->>
zich ontspannen 2 3 Ontspan je! 2 Je moet je ontspannen 2 3	to relax 'Relax!' 'You should relax!'
zich verbazen 2 't Verbaast me niks. 2 Het zou me niet verbazen. 2	to be surprised, amazed I am [zero] not surprised. 'I would not be surprised.'
zich ergeren 2 Ik erger me dood 2 3	to be annoyed I'm deeply annoyed ['to death']
zich omkleden Ga je je omkleden? 2	to change (clothes) Are you going to change? (clothes)
zich bemoeien met	to meddle with, getting involved with something where you're not wanted
Je moet je d'r niet mee bemoeien 2 Bemoei je d'r niet mee	You shouldn't meddle, stay away from it Don't get involved with it, go away!
zich verslapen Ik had me verslapen	to oversleep (not get up in time) I had overslept
zich beheersen 2 3 Beheers je! 2	'to control yourself, have a grip on your emotions' Get a grip on yourself, behave!
zich bewegen 2 Beweeg je niet!	to move (your body) Don't move! Freeze!
zich branden 2 3 Ik heb me gebrand 2 3 Brand je niet! 2 3	'to burn oneself,' to get burned 'I burned myself,' I got burned Dont get burned! (Be careful)

in zichzelf gekeerd 2	introvert
op zichzelf	'by itself, in itself' - of a person this means 'by yourself,' alone, without company or help, but for words it means without context, and otherwise it means without accompanying circumstances, without 'baggage'

By itself, Dutch 'zelf' 2 means 'yourself, oneself'

Reciprocal Verbs

wederkerige werkwoorden 2

elkaar

mekaar

elkaar ontmoeten 2 3

Ze ontmoetten elkaar op een feestje 2 3

They met [each other] at a party

Dan kunnen we elkaar eindelijk echt ontmoeten 2	Then we'll finally really meet [each other] (face to face, 'in the flesh')
"We benne op de wereld om mekaar te hellepe niewaar?" 2	We're in this world to help each other out isn't it?

Marco Schuffelen - email
copyright © 1999-2006 Marco Schuffelen - All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Don't be a dief (thief) - dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2