Object Pronouns (me/mij, je/jou, hem ...)

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In neutral everyday sentences, use the unstressed form 'me' (me/to me). Use the stressed form 'mij' only for contrast, emphasis, or after prepositions when emphasizing.

📌 Grammaticanotitie

Use 'je' as the neutral unstressed object pronoun ('you'), and 'jou' when you want to put special emphasis or contrast on the person.

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'Hem' refers to male persons (and in informal speech often to countable 'de'-word objects). In spoken Dutch it is pronounced as unstressed ''m' unless emphasized.

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'Haar' is both the stressed and standard written object pronoun for a female person ('her'). In casual spoken Dutch, unstressed 'd'r' is very common.

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'Het' is used as the direct object pronoun for 'het'-words and whole ideas/situations ('it'). Note that 'het' can NEVER follow a preposition (use 'er + preposition' instead).

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The polite pronoun 'u' stays 'u' in both subject and object positions! There is no separate object form.

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For 'wij / we', the object pronoun is always 'ons' ('us / to us'). There is no difference between stressed and unstressed forms in writing.

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Just like 'u', the plural pronoun 'jullie' ('you all') has the exact same form as subject and as object.

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In everyday Dutch, unstressed 'ze' is the most natural choice for 'them'. In formal writing, 'hen' is used as direct object and after prepositions, while 'hun' is an indirect object without a preposition.

📌 Grammaticanotitie

To refer to plural things ('them'), you MUST use unstressed 'ze' or demonstrative 'die'. Never use 'hen' or 'hun' for inanimate objects!

📌 Grammaticanotitie

When a sentence has both a direct object ('het' or 'ze' referring to things) and an indirect object pronoun ('me', 'hem', 'ons'), 'het' goes BEFORE the indirect object: 'Ik geef het hem'.

📌 Grammaticanotitie

After prepositions (met, voor, naar, op, bij), stressed forms ('mij', 'jou', 'hem', 'haar', 'hen') are preferred for people, though unstressed 'me', 'je', 'ze' also occur when the preposition itself carries the stress.