Gender in language

Grammatical gender, job titles and new pronouns

• In the Netherlands the old masculine/feminine split among de-words has largely disappeared in speech: many people say hij for things (de tafel… hij). For abstract nouns and institutions, written Dutch prefers zij/haar: de regering en haar beleid. Flemish usage keeps more of the distinction.
• Job titles have feminine forms (lerares, schrijfster, actrice, directrice), but many women use the unmarked form: Zij is docent / directeur / schrijver. Some find the feminine form needlessly marked, others say it makes women visible. Neutral coinages have spread: verpleegkundige instead of verpleegster.
• Neutral address: in 2017 NS replaced Dames en heren with Beste reizigers. In letters, Beste Sam de Vries avoids guessing between Geachte heer and Geachte mevrouw.
• For non-binary people, two sets of pronouns circulate: hen/hun (also as subject: Hen komt morgen) and die/diens (Die komt morgen; dit is diens fiets). Usage is still settling, and many people mix the two.