my/jou/hom/haar
Object Pronouns
my me · jou you · hom him · haar her · dit it · ons us · julle you · hulle them. Sy help my. Ek ken hom.
How It Works
Subject form and object form
- ek → my: Sy help my. (She helps me.)
- jy → jou: Ek sal jou bel. (I will call you.)
- hy → hom: Ek ken hom. (I know him.)
- sy → haar: Die koffie is vir haar. (The coffee is for her.)
- dit, ons, julle, hulle, u do not change: Ons sien hulle.
Where the object goes
In a simple sentence the object pronoun comes right after the verb and before nie: Ek ken hom nie. When a modal verb such as sal or kan is used, the pronoun comes before the infinitive at the end: Ek sal jou later bel. See Modal Verb Word Order.
Good to know
- my, jou and haar also mean my, your and her before a noun, but hom never does. His is sy: sy boek. See Possessives: My, Your, His, Her.
- In speech a person as object is often introduced with vir: Ek sien vir hom. See Vir Before a Person.
- The same forms are used as reflexive pronouns: Hy skeer hom. (He shaves.) See Reflexive Pronouns.
Examples (6)
- Sy help my.
She helps me.
Word by Word: She helps me.
- Ek ken hom goed.
I know him well.
Word by Word: I know him well.
- Ons sien hulle môre.
We will see them tomorrow.
Word by Word: We see them tomorrow.
Hulle has the same form as subject and object.
- Ek sal jou later bel.
I will call you later.
Word by Word: I will you later call.
With sal, the object comes before the infinitive at the end.
- Is die koffie vir haar?
Is the coffee for her?
Word by Word: Is the coffee for her?
After a preposition such as vir, use the object form.
- Waar is my foon? Ek kan dit nie kry nie.
Where is my phone? I can't find it.
Word by Word: Where is my phone? I can it not find not.
Dit is the object, and it comes before the infinitive kry.
Common Mistakes
Using the subject form ek as an object.
Sy help ek.Sy help my.Ek is only for the subject. When someone helps, sees or calls you, say my.
Using hy after a verb.
Ek ken hy.Ek ken hom.He is hy, but him is hom.
Using sy after a preposition.
Die boek is vir sy.Die boek is vir haar.After a preposition such as vir, she becomes haar.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The object pronouns are the forms that replace the subject pronouns after a verb or preposition.
Related Patterns
- ek/jy/hy/sy/ditSubject Pronouns Singular
These are the subject forms that my, jou, hom and haar replace.
Level 1 - my/jou/sy/haar + NounPossessives: My, Your, His, Her
My, jou and haar also mean my, your and her before a noun, but his is sy.
Level 1 - vir + PersonVir Before a Person
In speech, a person as object is often introduced with vir.
Level 2 - Reflexive Pronouns
The same forms are used when the subject does something to itself.
Level 2 - Modal Verb Word Order
With a modal verb, the object pronoun comes before the infinitive at the end.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice my/jou/hom/haar in Bubblegum
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