Formal u: u bent, u heeft, kunt u

u bent (you are), u heeft (you have), and kunt u ...? (can you ...?) are common forms with formal u (formal you). Kunt u mij helpen? (Can you help me?) is a polite request. A verb with u stays singular, even when u politely addresses a group.

U werkt hier. (You work here.) A regular present-tense verb with u uses the stem plus -t. The stem is the short form used with ik: ik werk (I work) → u werkt (you work).

The stem of wachten already ends in -t. Dutch writes one t in u wacht.

Formal u can also address a group in very formal language. The verb still stays singular: U bent welkom. (You are welcome.)

U bent klaar. (You are ready.) This sentence uses the modern form of zijn (to be). The verbs hebben (to have), kunnen (can), and zullen (will) each allow two forms with u.

Both forms shown for hebben, kunnen, and zullen are standard. u heeft occurs slightly more often than u hebt. In the Netherlands, writers usually choose u kunt and u zult, especially in kunt u and zult u. In Belgian Dutch, u kan/u kunt and u zal/u zult have equal status.

u bent is the modern standard. The form u is is obsolete and may appear in older texts. The full present tense of zijn and hebben appears in zijn and hebben.

U werkt hier. (You work here.) becomes Werkt u hier? (Do you work here?) when the verb moves before u. The -t stays. The rule that removes -t after informal jij/je does not apply to u.

The informal forms are Jij werkt hier. (You work here.) and Werk jij hier? (Do you work here?). The question uses werk without -t because jij follows the verb.

U belt mij, en ik bel u. (You call me, and I call you.) The formal pronoun is u as both subject and object. Use uw before a noun for possession: uw naam (your name) and uw paspoort (your passport). Compare these forms with subject and object pronouns. Informal jou (object you) and jouw (your) use separate forms.

U vergist zich. (You are mistaken.) uses a reflexive pronoun, a word that points back to the subject. Both zich and u are standard with formal u: U vergist zich. and U vergist u. When the verb comes first, zich avoids writing u u next to each other: Vergist u zich? (Are you mistaken?) In a command, use u: Vergis u niet! (Do not make a mistake!)

Ik mail u morgen over uw afspraak. (I will email you tomorrow about your appointment.) uses lowercase u and uw. In ordinary Dutch, capitalize U only at the start of a sentence: U kunt morgen komen. (You can come tomorrow.) Capitals inside a sentence now occur mainly for special religious or royal respect.

Goedemiddag, kunt u mij helpen? (Good afternoon, can you help me?) fits an official conversation with someone unfamiliar. Dutch speakers choose formal u or informal je/jij based on the relationship and setting.

• Use u in a formal or unfamiliar relationship, such as with an unknown adult, a customer, or an official.
• Use u with an older person when the relationship calls for distance; age alone sets no fixed rule.
• Use je/jij in an informal relationship, such as with friends, close family, classmates, or children.
• Follow the form used by the person or organization, and switch to je after an invitation.