Understanding Dutch Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns are words that show who owns something. In Dutch, just like in English, we use them to say things like 'my book' or 'her cat.' Let's learn how to use these special words in Dutch.
Basic Possessive Pronouns in Dutch
Important Points
- Mijn - My
- Jouw - Your (informal)
- Uw - Your (formal)
- Zijn - His
- Haar - Her
- Ons/Onze - Our
- Jullie - Your (plural)
- Hun - Their
In Dutch, possessive pronouns can change a little depending on whether the noun is singular or plural, and sometimes based on the gender of the noun. But don't worry, it's not too hard!
'Mijn' means 'my' and 'jouw' means 'your.' You use them when talking about something that belongs to you or someone else.
Examples
- Dit is mijn boek.
- Is dat jouw hond?
- Waar is jouw fiets?
'Zijn' means 'his' and 'haar' means 'her.' These are used when talking about something that belongs to a boy or a girl.
Examples
- Dat is zijn bal.
- Haar naam is Anna.
- Ik zie haar auto.
'Ons' and 'onze' both mean 'our,' but 'ons' is used for 'het' words (neuter nouns) and 'onze' is used for 'de' words (common nouns).
Examples
- Ons huis is groot.
- Onze tuin is mooi.
- We houden van onze school.
Using 'Uw', 'Jullie', and 'Hun'
'Uw' is a formal way to say 'your.' 'Jullie' is used when talking to more than one person, and 'hun' means 'their.'
Examples
- Is dit uw jas?
- Jullie kamer is opgeruimd.
- Hun huis is dichtbij.