When you’ve read a few Dutch texts, you’re bound to have come across the word – or, letter? – u. Contrary to English, this isn’t a crazy informal use of the Dutch equivalent of the word you – in fact, it’s the exact opposite. Here’s why u is used so often in Dutch.
This article is a nice change of pace, because it isn’t about something that’s quirky about Dutch for a change, but about something that’s a bit odd in English, at least compared to many Germanic- and Latin-based languages around the world. If you speak French, Spanish, or German, for example, you’re already quite familiar with the topic of this post.
What is u?
U is the formal version of je/jij, the Dutch equivalent of you. It’s usually written as a lowercase u, unless it’s at the beginning of a sentence, as per general writing rules, although it’s also accepted to write it as a capital U in the middle of a sentence. It’s pronounced very differently, though, and there’s no real equivalent to the sound in English – I can’t think of another way to describe it than to say it’s the U sound in Nuuuuuuuu! as a substitute for Noooooooo!.
It’s also the formal form of jullie, which is the Dutch plural form of you. So while English has a single word for 1) a friend you’re talking to, 2) a group of friends you’re talking to, 3) an important, older, or unknown person you’re talking to, and 4) a group of important people you’re addressing, the Dutch have separate words to distinguish which of these is the case.
This is by no means strange when you take a look around similar-ish languages around the world. Spanish has usted/ustedes which you can use to talk in a formal way to someone else or a group of other people; French uses vous as a formal form of you, and German uses Sie.
While English does have the word thou, which works more or less the same, it isn’t used in everyday conversation, and it looks very, very archaic. Still, keep that one in mind for when you’re about to lose it.
Who should I call u?
Just like in other languages that have a formal form of you/you lot, figuring out when to use it isn’t an easy feat. In general, you can follow these rules:
- When you’re very young, especially a child, and you’re talking to an adult
- When you’re just your own age and you’re talking to an elderly person
- When you’re talking to someone that’s in a higher “class” than you are (a royal, a president, a university professor)
- When you’re an adult and you’re talking to another adult you’ve never met before
Now, these rules are by no means set in stone. They’re also changing over time, and they differ depending on your upbringing, your age, your job, and even where in the country you’re from. In Belgium, u is used a lot more often, and can even be used among friends, which is unthinkable in the Netherlands.
Speakers of other formal-using languages have probably developed a good feel for it, as they generally use their equivalent of it in similar ways, but since English doesn’t really have this formal form, it’s kind of hit-and-miss. The main gist: when they hold some form of “power” over you, or you’ve never met them before, you should probably use u.
Having said that, the Dutch are probably the least formal of all the formal you users in the world. Some exceptions:
- Children sometimes call their parents u, but it’s less and less common, and it’s generally seen as a bit outdated. Grandparents are still often called u, but definitely not always.
- Employees usually don’t use u when they’re speaking to their boss, unless it’s a very large company with a lot of employees.
- People often use the informal way in informal situations, such as grocery shopping or ordering food.
In fact, there’s a common Dutch line that someone can use to stress that they’d like you to use you instead of u. It’s Zeg maar je tegen u, and while the grammar doesn’t really make sense, it’s actually quite neat. It just means Call me “je” instead of “u”, but in a bit of a silly way.
How the grammar works
Even though there are a lot of ways in which to use u, and it might be hard for native English speakers to learn when to use it and when not to, there’s one truly neat thing about it: whether it’s singular or plural, the conjugation of verbs is always the same. In fact, it’s always the same as the conjugation for hij/zij/het, or he/she/it in English, no matter which tense you’re using, and no matter how many people you’re addressing formally at the same time.
The only exception to this is when the verb zijn (Eng: to be) is involved. When it is, u uses the form associated with the non-formal je. It’s odd, granted, but it’s only one exception, so it’s somewhat manageable.
It’s a bit odd to use the he/she/it conjugation for a version of you, but that’s just how it works. Learn more about Dutch verb conjugation in this rather elaborate cheatsheet.
Long story short
When you read a Dutch text, see the word u, and assume it’s a form of the word you, you’re entirely correct. Assuming it’s txt spk slang, however, is very wrong indeed, as it’s the exact opposite: a formal version to address older, more important, or more experienced people than yourself – or an entire group of those.
While the Dutch don’t use this formal form as much as people do in many other languages, it’s still quite common, especially in formal environments. Try working it into your vocabulary, and people might actually appreciate you for doing so – and if not, you can always tell them it’s my fault. I got u!
