Gender neutral language in Dutch: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 10:23, 26 October 2025

Gender neutral language

Gender neutral language in Dutch. The Dutch language has two or three grammatical genders depending on the geographical area or each individual speaker: common/neuter or masculine/feminine/neuter, although the distinction between masculine and feminine has largely disappeared due to the fact they are grammatically equivalent in almost every aspect. The grammatical gender does not always line up with the natural gender of a word, for example, all diminutive forms are neuter.

PronounsEdit

The Dutch language does not have any official gender-neutral pronouns, although nonbinary people have adopted other sets of pre-existing pronouns, as well as neopronouns, to work around this issue. A survey by Transgender Netwerk Nederland (Transgender Network Netherlands) among 500 people showed that hen / hen / hun ("they/them/theirs") was in that research the most popular pronoun set, although other options suggested to include die ("that/who") ^[1], making die / hen / hun. Alternatively, die / die / diens is also an option used. Various other inflections can also be replaced by the corresponding form of "die", depending on the individual's preferences and how natural the sentence sounds in the person's regiolect. For example, some might prefer die / hen / diens to distinguish the meaning of die and hen.

When spoken, "hen" can really sound like "hem" (him). Therefore the correct pronounciation is really essential to differentiate someone's preferences.

The pronoun "die" is also a normal genderneutral pronoun in the dialects spoken in regions like Twente, de Achterhoek and Drenthe, though in some specific regions only meaning "he". Sometimes "die" is even written as pronounced /tie/, for example when following a word ending with a /d/ or /t/ sound. (Ex. "Den hat tie dat nie meui'n zegg'n", "Then they shouldn't have said that.") [1]

The use of genderneutral pronouns is also increasingly adopted by certain progessive cis people, to increase usage with the goal of normalizing these words. Others could for example choose to use neutral pronouns on just anyone, sometimes with the exception of people who put pressure on the fact that they want to be called a he or she. This idea is not meant to assume that everyone is genderqueer, but rather to assume that genderneutral pronouns are norm and genderized pronouns are rather something archaic. This process is, however, slow, keeping in mind that genderneutral pronoun options are still not known to all citizens (see #Use of gender and genus in official documents and education).

Arguments for hen as first person:

-It sounds natural (think about the old pronoun "men")

-Hen is also a synthetic genderneutral pronoun in other Germanic languages, like Swedish and German.

-The traditional use of hen is socially in the process of being replaced with hun, meaning the traditional use is already fading away.

Arguments against hen as first person:

-Hen is traditionally (and still officially) used as accusative form of ze.

-By those who support the use of hen as accusative of ze, it can be seen as poor language use.

Arguments for die as first person:

-Die means that or who.

-Die is already used in east-Dutch dialects as a genderneutral pronoun

-Die looks like the Indonesian genderneutral pronoun 'Dia', considering the reflection of descendants of ex-colonies.

-Die also comes close to the Papiamento genderneutral pronoun 'e', (pronounced /ei/), considering the reflection of descendants of ex-colonies.

Arguments against die as first person:

-Die already has two other official uses: that and who.

-In a few dialect regions, die is used as a male pronoun.

-It does not sound natural, primarily to native Dutch people from the Randstad and from Friesland.


Case	Dutch sample sentence
Nominative	Wanneer ik iemand een grap vertel, lacht die/hen.
Accusative	Wanneer ik een vriend begroet, geef ik die/hen een knuffel.
Pronominal possessive	Wanneer iemand niet naar de kapper gaat, wordt diens/hun haar lang.
Predicative possesive	Wanneer ik een GSM nodig heb, leent mijn vriend me die van hen.
Reflexive	Elk kind voedt zichzelf.

"Die" does not have predicative possessive or reflexive forms and thus these have not been included in the table.

Use of "ze"Edit

Use of "ze" is also possible in most cases, its use generally considered informal^[2]. It works the same as "they" in English, you use it as if you were referring to a group of people and conjugate the verb accordingly.

There is discussion around the use of "ze", since the word for she is also "ze". Some would argue that this is easy to distinct since the verb changes in plural form, too. Thus, making it easier to differentiate.


Case	Dutch sample sentence
Nominative	Wanneer ik iemand een grap vertel, lachen ze.
Accusative	Wanneer ik een vriend begroet, geef ik ze een knuffel.
Pronominal possessive	Wanneer iemand niet naar de kapper gaat, wordt hun haar lang.
Predicative possesive	Wanneer ik een GSM nodig heb, leent mijn vriend me die van ze.
Reflexive	Elk kind voedt zichzelf.

Family and relationship termsEdit

ParentEdit

Ouder. Neutral, formal.
Ouda. Neutral, informal, nonstandard.
Mapa. Neutral, informal, nonstandard.
Pama. Neutral, informal, nonstandard.
Wawa. Neutral, informal, nonstandard.
Ren. Neutral, informal, nonstandard.

PartnerEdit

Vriend. Word for platonic friend or romantic partner. Has masculine connotations.
Vrien. Nonstandard. Neutral word for platonic friend or romantic partner.
Lief. Neutral word for romantic partner. Casual.
Schat(je). Neutral word for romantic partner. Casual. Also in use for friendly occasions.
Partner. Neutral word for (romantic, wedded, or otherwise) partner. More formal.
Huwelijkspartner. Neutral word bride and groom.
Bruidspartner. Nonstandard. Neutral word for a spouse-to-be/marrier/nearlywed-person.
Eega. Archaic, formal, neutral word for wedded spouse.
Gade. Archaic, formal, neutral word for wedded spouse.
Levenspartner. Neutral word for wedded partner/life partner. More formal.
Wederhelft. Neutral word for wedded partner/"better half"/significant other.
Metgezel. Status- and gender-neutral word for someone's accompanying person.

Wedding wordsEdit

Getrouwde/Eega's/Gaden/Levenspartners. Neutral words to refer to two spouses/maritial partners.

Bruidsgevolg. Nonstandard. Neutral word for bridesmaids and groomsmen, the bridalpair's entourages.

Respektieve gevolg. Nonstandard. Neutral word for the respective entourages of a marrying couple, bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Bruidsgevolger. Nonstandard. Neutral word to refer to one person in the bridalpair's entourage.

Erepersoon/Erevriend/Erevrien. Nonstandard. Neutral word for a maid of honor (/hoofbruidsmeisje) or a best man (/hoofdbruidsjonker).

ChildEdit

Baby. Standard neutral word for very young offspring or very young people.
Jonkie. Standard, somewhat slang-y neutral word for young people.
Kind. Standard gender neutral word for a young person or an offspring. Implied age isn't adult, but may be.
Kleinkind. Standard gender neutral word for the child of someone's child.
Kleine/Kleintje. Literally "little one", neutral word for a very young child or young offspring.
Peuter. Neutral word for a baby. (Child of ~1 to ~3 years old.)
Kleuter. Neutral word for a toddler. (Child of ~3 to ~6 years old.)
Tiener. Neutral word for a teenager. (Child of ~10 to ~18 years old.)
Telg/nageslacht, afstammeling. Neutral, basically means scion/progeny and descendant, alternatives (that might sound weird) to refer to someone in relation to them being one's child, but not necessarily a young one.

Siblings and related familyEdit

Sibbeling. Nonstandard, low-usage. Dutch does not have a standardized word for sibling, but "sibbeling" has been suggested as a neutral option to zus/broer (sister/brother). [2][3]

-Also possible as Sibbel

-In psychology and healthcare, certain conditions between siblings are also called as e.g. "sibling[geweld]". [4] Therefore being an example that "sibling" can also be a Dutch noun.

Kleine/jongere/jongste sibbeling, middelste sibbeling, grote/oudere/oudste sibbeling. Nonstandard, low-usage, inferred from ”sibbeling”, means little/younger/youngest sibling, middle sibling and big/older/oldest sibling.

NOTE: There are no neutral alternatives like English's nibling, cousin or pibling for Dutch's nichtje/neef (niece/nephew/cousin) or tante/oom (aunt/uncle). One could instead use descriptive phrases such as "kind van mijn sibbeling" (child of my sibling, nibling), "kind van mijn ouders sibbeling" (child of my parent's sibling, cousin) or "sibbeling van mijn ouder" (sibling of my parent, pibling)

Alternatives to other relatives that don't have a standard genderneutral word:

*Neef/Nicht (can mean either cousin or niece/nephew)

-Neecht

-Nibling

*Tante/Oom (aunt/uncle)

-Titi

-Pibling

*EDITOR'S NOTE: please add more alternatives if you have availability to more.

GrandparentsEdit

Grootouder. Neutral Dutch word for grandparent.
Grootie. Nonstandard. Neutral informal word for grandparent, grandy or grandma/grandpa.
Opma. Nonstandard. Neutral informal word for grandparent, grandy or grandma/grandpa.
Owa. Nonstandard. Neutral informal word for grandparent, grandy or grandma/grandpa.
Obi. Nonstandard. Neutral informal word for grandparent, grandy or grandma/grandpa.

In-law familyEdit

Schoonouder. Neutral Dutch word for parent-in-law.
Schoonkind. Neutral Dutch word for child-in-law.
Schoonsibbeling. Nonstandard, low-usage, inferred from "schoon-" (in-law) and ”sibbeling”, means sibling-in-law.

Other termsEdit

Volwassene. Neutral word for an adult. (Person of ~18 to ~65 years old.)
Senior. Neutral word for a senior. (Person of ~65 to often the end of their lifespan.)
Huispartner. Neutral word for housespouse.
Thuisblijvende ouder. Neutral word for stay-at-home parent.
Weduwpersoon. Neutral word for a widowed person.
Weduw. Neutral word for a widowed person. Nonstandard

Troonopvolger. Neutral word for crownprincess/crownprince.
Koninklijke afstammeling. Low-usage, means royal descendant. This is a descriptive phrase that can be used instead of the gendered words prinses/prins (princess/prince).
Koninklijke eega/gade (door huwelijk). Low-usage, eega/gade are archaic words, means royal spouse (through marriage). This is a descriptive phrase that can be used instead of the gendered words prinses/prins (princess/prince).
Monarch. Low usage middle-Dutch word that can be used as a neutral alternative to queen/king, means monarch.
Jullie/Allemaal/Mensen/Vrienden. Neutral way of calling multiple people instead of saying girls and/or guys.
Huisgenoot, Neutral word for housemate.

Professions/RolesEdit

Barwerker, barpersoon. Nonstandard alternatives for barvrouw/barman (barwoman/barman) using the inferred neutral words "-werker" (-worker) and "-persoon" (-person) to make it neutral.
Brandweer/Brandweermens, brandweerlieden/brandweermensen. Neutral words for brandweervrouw(en)/brandweerman(nen) (firewoman/fireman and firewomen/fireman).
Huisbaar/Hospite. Neutral words for hospita/hospes (property owner).
Kassamedewerker. Neutral words for kassière/cassière/kassier (cashier).
Leerkracht/Leraar. Neutral words for lerares/leraar (teacher).
Auteur/Schrijver. Neutral words for schrijfster/schrijver (author).
Verloskundige. Neutral word for "vroedvrouw" (midwife).
Verpleegkundige. Neutral word for verpleegster/zuster/verpleger/broeder (nurse).

Alternatives for calling a group of people

Somewhat archaically speaking, people could call upon a group of people by saying "jongens" (lit. boys) no matter their gender.

Instead one might say "vrienden" (friends), or in an academic setting "studenten"/"leerlingen" (students). In a business setting; "werknemers"/"collega's" (employees/coworkers) is most appropriate.

Alternative for 'Dames en heren' (ladies and gentlemen): "luisteraars"/"aanwezigen" (listeners/attendees).

EthnicityEdit

To accord ethnic names, it is considered most gender-nonconfirming to stick to the male version, as the female alternative versions are only ~40-50 years old now. However, some ethnic names like "Engelsman" contain the word "man", so it is considerd most genderneutral to take the a new version (Engelse). For all country origins, this works the same. Some countries that end in a vowel, like Aruba or Djibouti, are harder to pronounce when conjugated, so it is also common to say something like: "Ik kom uit... [land van geboorte]" (translated: "I'm from... [country of origin]"). Instead, use the same word for languages, such as: "Ik ben Duits" (translated: I am German). If you come from a country that uses multiple languages, you can most often use the conjugation in some form of Country + -s, like: "Ik ben Zuid-Afrikaans). This will always be genderneutral as a standard.


Country	Male	Female	Genderneutral
France	Fransman	Française	Franse
Germany	Duitser	Duitse	Duitser
Belgium	Belg	Belgische	Belg
England	Engelsman	Engelse	Engelse
Suriname	Surinamer	Surinaamse	Surinamer
Indonesia	Indonesiër	Indonesische, Indonees	Indonesiër (or 'Indo' from colonial ages)
Spain	Spanjaard	Spaanse	Spanjaard
Italy	Italiaan	Italiaanse	Italiaan
Switzerland	Zwitser	Zwitserse	Zwitser

Alternatives for nouns using a genderized prefix or suffixEdit

Bemanning (crew) > crew, ploeg, personeel
Broederliefde (Brotherly love) > Naastenliefde, siblingliefde
Damesbroek (Pants without pockets) > Zakloze broek
Dienstmeisje > Huishouddienst, diener
Dochteronderneming (subsidiary) > Onder- of kindonderneming
Huisvrouw > Klusjesmens
Jongensdroom (Lit. Boyhood dream) > Kinderdroom
Keukenprinses > Uitbundige kok
[aantal] man ([amount] of people) > [aantal] mensen
Meisjesnaam (Maiden name/ birth family name) > Achternaam bij geboorte
Men (a somewhat archaic pronoun) (One, people, they) > Mensen, ze
Moederbedrijf (Parental company) > Ouderbedrijf, bovenbedrijf
Moederbord (Main board) > Systeembord, main board, mobo
Moedermelk (Breast milk) > Borstvoeding
Moeder Natuur (Mother Nature) > de (vrije) natuur [God, de Boeddhanatuur, de Dao/Tao]
Moedertaal (Mother tongue/native tongue) > Ondertaal, eigen taal, geboortetaal
Moederskind / Vaderskind (mother's child, father's child) > lieveling van ... ouder
Moedervlek (Birth mark) > Geboortevlek
Nichterig (lit. [f] Cousin-like, meaning: sissy) > Arrogant, verwaand
Omafiets/Damesfiets (Specific bicycle) > Opstapfiets, ouderwetse fiets
Opagrappen (Dad jokes) > Pannenkoekgrappen, flauwe humor
Paardenmeisje (Horse girl) > Paardenverzorger
Vaderland (Fatherland/Homeland) > Thuisland, geboorteland
Waterman (Aquarius) > Aquarius
Zusterstam (Sister tribe) > Siblingstam

Gender in religionEdit

In Abrahamic religions, like Judaism, Christianity and the Islam, God is agender. Yet, in the Dutch language, like in English, God is referred to as a male figure in almost every verse of the Qu'Raan, Bible and Tenach. Since the gender revolution, this has been raising questions in society. For more info on this topic, look at the source of this paragraph. The Dutch language is not different to this issue to English and modern spoken Latin languages. [5]

Honorary titlesEdit

"First-name last-name". In many cases, the first and last name can and should be used instead of an honorary title e.g. Kim Jansen instead of mevrouw/meneer Jansen.

But the use of "Mx. last-name" is also becoming more common.

In justice, whether the judge is a male or a female, they are always referred to as "de Heer", meaning "~Mister". Even though this is genderneutral, feminists can still argue that this is still genderizing language. As an alternative, you may refer to them as the options given above.

Alternatively, an increase of manicipalities avoid the use of gendered honory titles altogether. The most common way of doing this is: "Beste K. Jansen" (Dear K. Jansen).


	Male	Female	Genderneutral
Salutation	Mr., Dr. (archaic), Dhr.	Mw.	Mx.
In full	Meneer, Dokter, de Heer	Mevrouw	Mix (not really used in speech)

Use of gender and genus in official documents, speech and educationEdit

In high schools, teachers are not allowed to confirm neo-genderneutral language as valid in CE (Centraal Examen) exams, since it is viewed as incorrect by the state. They can, however, still allow students to make use of this type of language, if at SE (School Examen) exams. This is a choice of their own, and are still legally not required to check it in favor of neo-genderneutral language.

In elementary school, genderneutral pronouns are still not a part of the curriculum. Teachers have the option to teach, but are not required to. This is part of the reason why still a lot of Dutch speakers are not aware of genderneutral pronouns.

In biology, the Dutch refer to 'man' and 'vrouw' (aka 'geslacht'; genus) to specifically state XY or XX chromosomes. Although genus is built out of ten different components (like facial hair, body structure, etc. NB: 11 when one counts gender), the State refers specifically to the chromosomes as an indicator for genus. This is similar to the English "use of "male" and "female".

When talking about animals, we tend to use diminutives, like "mannetje" and "vrouwtje", just like the Dutch commonly differentiate animals on in different contexts (e.g. through words like "bek", "ras", "voer" and "poot"). NB: Using a diminutive for your partner is therefore also seen as something playful rather than serious matter. The Dutch refer to animals (since they are seen as objects) with hij/hem/zijn, unless there is a specific reason to assume that the animal is female, therefore zij/haar is used.

On official documents like passports, identification cards (IDs), driver's license and other official documents is the use of gender and genus a bit confusing to about just anyone. For example, IDs show as options for genus: 'M/V/X'. According to science, genus will never change with our modern-day knowledge, and thus would mean that people with XX will get assigned a 'V', XY will get an 'M' and people with any other natural variations of chromosomes will receive an 'X'.

But, whenever one has gone through a process of changing that letter, which is legally possible, their letter will now be matching their gender identity, but still, the genus will not change. This is stated as confusing, and is not agreed to by many, since genus will never change. Debates on how to approach this linguistic issue is still in progress.

Possible outcomes could be:

a new line with 'gender: M/V/X', in addition to the genus line;
changing the word "genus" for "gender" or "gender identity";
removing the M/V/X row altogether.

Next to that, the leading dictionary for the Dutch language, VanDale, describes gender (in their free online dictionary) as:

"gen·der (het; o)

1 geslacht, sekse

2 geslacht waarvan iem. het gevoel heeft deel uit te maken

3 alles wat bij het man- of vrouw-zijn hoort, alle seksegebonden eigenschappen"^[3]

This may lead to confusions, since gender and genus used to be synonyms of one another (see option 1). In modern-day society, when we refer to gender, we use only option 2 to describe this. Option 3 is only the description of genus.

For laws focussing on people with certain genus organs, the words "man" and "vrouw" tend to be left out. For example "zwangerschapsverlof" (pregnancy permit) instead of "moederschapsverlof" (mother permit) and "ouderschapsverlof" for the non-pregnant partner. For rulings on abortion, the focus lies more on the uterus than someone's genus or gender identity. Also here, the word "vrouw" tend to be left out, though not completely removed.

ReferencesEdit

↑ https://www.transgendernetwerk.nl/non-binair-voornaamwoord-uitslag/ Archived on 17 July 2023
↑ https://taaladvies.net/taal/advies/vraag/374 Archived on 17 July 2023
↑ https://www.vandale.nl/gratis-woordenboek/nederlands/betekenis/gender

External linksEdit

nl.pronouns.page, a website about gender neutral pronouns in Dutch

[1] ttps://www.transgendernetwerk.nl/non-binair-voornaamwoord-uitslag/ Archived on 17 July 2023

[2] ttps://taaladvies.net/taal/advies/vraag/374 Archived on 17 July 2023

[3] ttps://www.vandale.nl/gratis-woordenboek/nederlands/betekenis/gender

[1]

[2]

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