A2 Dutch GrammarPossessive Pronouns
Replace nouns with possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers) in Dutch. These standalone pronouns help avoid repetition in sentences and are essential for natural conversation. Learn the difference between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns.
1Independent Possessive Pronouns
Dutch possessive pronouns stand alone and replace a noun phrase. Unlike possessive adjectives (mijn, jouw), possessive pronouns (de/het mijne, de/het jouwe) function as nouns. They agree with the gender of the replaced noun using de/het.
Possessive Pronouns
| Person | De-word | Het-word | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| I/my | de mijne | het mijne | de mijne |
| you/your (inf.) | de jouwe | het jouwe | de jouwe |
| you/your (form.) | de uwe | het uwe | de uwe |
| he/his | de zijne | het zijne | de zijne |
| she/her | de hare | het hare | de hare |
Examples
Dit is mijn boek. Waar is de jouwe?
This is my book. Where is yours?
de jouwe replaces 'jouw boek'
Zijn auto is nieuw, de mijne is oud.
His car is new, mine is old.
de mijne replaces 'mijn auto'
Dit huis is het mijne.
This house is mine.
het mijne (huis is het-word)
De hare is groter dan de zijne.
Hers is bigger than his.
comparing possessions
2Van Mij Construction
In everyday Dutch, the 'van mij/jou/hem' construction is more common than formal possessive pronouns. This uses the preposition 'van' plus a personal pronoun. It sounds more natural in casual conversation and is easier to use.
Van + Pronoun Forms
| English | Formal | Colloquial |
|---|---|---|
| mine | de/het mijne | van mij |
| yours (inf.) | de/het jouwe | van jou |
| yours (form.) | de/het uwe | van u |
| his | de/het zijne | van hem |
| hers | de/het hare | van haar |
Examples
Die tas is van mij.
That bag is mine.
van mij = mine (informal)
Is deze fiets van jou?
Is this bike yours?
van jou = yours (question)
De sleutels zijn van hem.
The keys are his.
van hem = his
Die schoenen zijn niet van haar.
Those shoes are not hers.
van haar = hers
3Plural Possessive Pronouns
For plural possessors (we, you all, they), Dutch uses de/het onze (ours), de/het jullie (yours plural), and de/het hunne (theirs). The colloquial 'van ons/jullie/hen' construction is again more common in speech.
Plural Possessive Forms
| English | Formal | Colloquial |
|---|---|---|
| ours | de/het onze | van ons |
| yours (plural) | — | van jullie |
| theirs | de/het hunne | van hen/hun |
Examples
Dit huis is van ons.
This house is ours.
van ons = ours
De onze is groter.
Ours is bigger.
de onze (formal possessive)
Zijn die kaartjes van jullie?
Are those tickets yours?
van jullie = yours (plural)
De auto is van hen, niet van ons.
The car is theirs, not ours.
van hen vs van ons
4Die/Dat van Construction
Another common way to express possession uses 'die/dat van' (that of). This construction is very natural in Dutch and often preferred in casual speech. Use 'die' for de-words and 'dat' for het-words.
Die/Dat van Examples
| Noun Type | Construction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| de-word | die van + pronoun | die van mij (mine) |
| het-word | dat van + pronoun | dat van jou (yours) |
| plural | die van + pronoun | die van ons (ours) |
Examples
Mijn telefoon is kapot. Mag ik die van jou?
My phone is broken. May I use yours?
die van jou = yours (de telefoon)
Dat van hem is duurder.
His is more expensive.
dat van hem (het-word reference)
Ons huis is klein, maar dat van hen is groot.
Our house is small, but theirs is big.
dat van hen = theirs (het huis)
Die van mij smaakt beter.
Mine tastes better.
die van mij (referring to de-word)