zij
/zɛi̯/
In Dutch, the English phrase "they" is translated as zij or ze.
Meaning: third-person plural pronoun (pron)
Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA |
|---|---|
| zij | /zɛi̯/ (stressed) /zə/ (unstressed) |
| ze | /zə/ |
Both forms are third-person plural pronouns.
Which one should you use?
zij is used for emphasis or in more formal contexts. In contrast, ze is the standard unstressed form used in everyday spoken Dutch.
How does it change in a sentence?
Note that the form ze can function as both the third-person plural pronoun "they" and the third-person singular feminine pronoun "she" depending on the context.
How do you pronounce it?
/zɛi̯/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse ze (they) with ze (she), as both are written the same way in Dutch.
Did you know?
- The word zij is a homonym with several unrelated meanings, including 'side' and 'silk'.
- The word ze is an unstressed form, meaning it cannot start a sentence if the speaker wants to place emphasis on the subject.
- If you want to point out a specific group of people, such as 'those people over there', Dutch speakers will almost always switch from ze to the stressed zij.
Examples in context
- Daar heb je ze.There they are.Tatoeba #7465989 by megamanenm, translation #7465988 by megamanenm
- Zijn ze er nog?Are they still here?Tatoeba #10672126 by rose_d, translation #3434362 by CK
- Ze zijn aan zee.They are at the sea.Tatoeba #3152964 by martinod, translation #13324308 by SunnyMoon
- Zij zijn mijn buren.They are my neighbors.
- Die mensen komen uit verschillende landen.They come from various countries.
- Ze gaan vanavond naar de bioscoop.They are going to the cinema tonight.
- Die lui zijn echt grappig.They are really funny guys.
- 3272 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noah and Julia are looking at a group of people in a park.
- NoahZijn zij ook aan het voetballen?Are they playing football too?
- JuliaJa, zij spelen daar met de kinderen.Yes, they are playing there with the children.
- NoahZijn zij je vrienden?Are they your friends?
- JuliaNee, zij zijn vreemden.No, they are strangers.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “they” translations and entries zij, ze, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries zij, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
