Person and Number
In Dutch there are two grammatical numbers (getallen) (as in English): singular (enkelvoud) and plural (meervoud) and three grammatical persons (personen) (as in English). They are determined as followed:
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| First person | ik ('k) | wij (we) |
| Second Person | jij (je); gij (ge); u (U) | jullie; gij (ge); u (U) |
| Third Person | hij (ie); zij (ze); het ('t) | zij (ze) |
Ik, wij, jij, gij, u, U, jullie, hij, zij, and het are the stressed forms, 'k, we, je, ge, ie, ze and 't are the non-stressed forms, U is the polite form (see Dutch declension). Because the conjugation pattern is different or equal for some persons, the conjugation is given by pronoun and not by grammatical person.
There are five forms of each verb in each tense:
- a form for ik ('k) (the pronoun jij (je) follows the same pattern as ik in the present simple if it follows the verb, see t-rules).
- a form for jij (je) (the pronouns u and U can also follow this form)
- a form for gij (ge) (the pronouns u, U and jullie can also follow this form)
- a form for hij (ie), zij (ze), het ('t) and u (U) (= a form for the third person)
- a plural form
Read more about this topic: Dutch Conjugation
Famous quotes containing the words person and, person and/or number:
“We construct our life for one person and, when finally we are ready to receive that person in our life, she does not come, then dies in our eyes and we live as prisoners of that which was meant only for her.”
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922)
“A new talker will often call her caregiver “mommy,” which makes parents worry that the child is confused about who is who. She isn’t. This is a case of limited vocabulary rather than mixed-up identities. When a child has only one word for the female person who takes care of her, calling both of them “mommy” is understandable.”
—Amy Laura Dombro (20th century)
“You are the majority—in number and intelligence; therefore you are the force—which is justice. Some are scholars, others are owners; a glorious day will come when the scholars will be owners and the owners scholars. Then your power will be complete, and no man will protest against it.”
—Charles Baudelaire (1821–1867)