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The traditional form is i but je is found as early as in the first recorded texts in Bourguignon. However nowadays, it is rare to find it, most speakers saying i as it is a typical feature of Bourguignon.
Je mag hier niet zwemmen. ― Swimming is not allowed here.
In dat restaurant kun je heerlijk eten. ― There is great food to be had in that restaurant.
1995 May 23, Marleen Barth, “'Politiek moet leren luisteren naar scholen' ['Politicians must learn to listen to schools']”, in Trouw, page 4:
„Als je als directeur ondernemend van aard bent en je kunt goed leidinggeven, dan ben je natuurlijk wel gelukkig met meer vrijheid. Maar dat geldt voor veel directeuren niet.(...)"
"If a headteacher is entrepreneurial by nature and if he or she is a good manager, they'll obviously be happy with more freedom. But this does not apply to many headteachers.(...)"
(personal pronoun,colloquial)I, one; used to talk about oneself indirectly, especially about feelings or personal experiences
Je gaat wel even een moeilijk periode door, maar je zoekt toch naar een oplossing. ― I did go through a difficult period, but I looked for a solution nonetheless.
1994 December 31, Wang An Oe, “'Voor een paar tientjes was ik ineens directeur' ['For a couple of tenners, I suddenly became a CEO']”, in Leeuwarder Courant, page 17:
Het echtpaar Duijm uit Spijkenisse toog zo'n vier maanden geleden naar de Kamer van Koophandel omdat meneer en mevrouw wel wat zagen in een strijkservice. (...) „Voor ƒ 58 inschrijfgeld waren we plotseling directeur en directrice. Na afloop voel je weer de frisse lucht buiten en dan denk je wel even: waar zijn we aan begonnen?"
About four months ago, Mr and Mrs Duijm from Spijkenisse went to the Chamber of Commerce because the couple saw business potential for an ironing service. (...) "For a ƒ58 registration fee, we were suddenly CEOs. Afterwards, I felt the fresh outside air again and at that moment I did think to myself: what did we get ourselves into?"
Hoe gaat het nou? Slecht !... Ja, je hebt toch net je moeder begraven, hè
How are things? Bad! After all, I just buried my mother, right?
Usage notes
When je is the unstressed subjective form of jullie, it is construed with a singular verb. Compare:
Het is gevaarlijk, maar jullie moeten weten wat je doet.
It’s dangerous, but you must decide what you’re doing.
In informal language, je often replaces jij, jou, and jouw, with those forms used for emphasis or contrast.
Heb je aan je maat gevraagd of ’ie z’n boor voor je kan meenemen? — Ja, hij zei dat ik ’m daarna aan jou mag geven zodat jij ’m voor jouw klusje kunt gebruiken.
Did you ask your mate to bring his drill for you? — Yes, he said I can give it to you afterwards so you can use it for your project.
1) Not as common in written language. 2) Inflected as an adjective. 3) In prescriptivist use, used only as direct object (accusative). 4) In prescriptivist use, used only as indirect object (dative). 5) Archaic. Nowadays used for formal, literary or poetic purposes, and in fixed expressions. 6) To differentiate from the singular gij, gelle (object form elle) and variants are commonly used colloquially in Belgium. Archaic forms are gijlieden and gijlui ("you people").
7)Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.'
1) Not as common in written language. 2) Inflected as an adjective. 3) In prescriptivist use, used only as direct object (accusative). 4) In prescriptivist use, used only as indirect object (dative). 5) Archaic. Nowadays used for formal, literary or poetic purposes, and in fixed expressions. 6) To differentiate from the singular gij, gelle (object form elle) and variants are commonly used colloquially in Belgium. Archaic forms are gijlieden and gijlui ("you people").
7)Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.'
1) Not as common in written language. 2) Inflected as an adjective. 3) In prescriptivist use, used only as direct object (accusative). 4) In prescriptivist use, used only as indirect object (dative). 5) Archaic. Nowadays used for formal, literary or poetic purposes, and in fixed expressions. 6) To differentiate from the singular gij, gelle (object form elle) and variants are commonly used colloquially in Belgium. Archaic forms are gijlieden and gijlui ("you people").
7)Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.'
The preposition je can replace any other preposition and remain grammatically correct, albeit more ambiguous. It is usually clear what meaning is intended based on context.
It is most useful for prepositional phrases not involving a literal physical connection, and instead, the correct preposition in the source language is mandated by convention only:
"He bets on the horses." (He doesn't place his money on the physical body of the horse.)
"I typed it on the computer." (It was actually typed using the computer.)
"She'll be here in a minute." (She'll be here within or after a minute.)
Without context, Donu ĝin je mi could mean any of the following:
Donu ĝin je mi. — “Give it to me.”
Donu ĝin je mi. — “Give it from me.”
Donu ĝin je mi. — “Give it with me.”
Without context, La kato saltis je la tablon could mean any of the following:
La kato saltis je la tablon. — “The cat jumped onto the table.”
La kato saltis je la tablon. — “The cat jumped under the table.”
La kato saltis je la tablon. — “The cat jumped behind the table.”
When several pronouns are included in the same sentence, it is considered impolite to say the pronoun je first; it must be the last one, and tu must be said after third persons (this applies also for toi and moi):
Courtz, Hendrik (2008) A Carib grammar and dictionary, Toronto: Magoria Books, →ISBN, page 285
Ahlbrinck, Willem (1931) “ye”, in Encyclopaedie der Karaïben, Amsterdam: Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen, page 548; republished as Willem Ahlbrinck, Doude van Herwijnen, transl., L'Encyclopédie des Caraïbes, Paris, 1956, page 537