Subject Pronouns (Unstressed) / Persoonlijke voornaamwoorden (onderwerpsvorm, onbenadrukt)

Introduction

Introductie

In informal writing and conversation Dutch speakers often use a shortened version of the subject pronouns called the "unstressed" form. These are used similarly to English contractions like "I'm" and "you're".

The second-person formal u doesn't have an unstressed form precisely because it is formal, while the unstressed are used in more casual contexts.

There is also a third-person neuter ('t) within the unstressed pronouns. It is used similarly to the neuter article het and refers to subjects of the neuter grammatical gender.

		Stressed	Unstressed
Singular	First-person	'k I
	Second-person	u you formal you all formal you formal you all formal	je you informal you all informal u you formal you all formal you formal you all formal
	Third-person	-ie he 't it ze they she
Plural	First-person	we we
	Second-person	u you formal you all formal you formal you all formal	je you informal you all informal u you formal you all formal you formal you all formal
	Third-person	ze they she