Dutch Regular Verbs

Dutch Regular VerbsAnd other verb conjugations

The verbs chapter is very extensive but do not be intimidated by its size. Once you have studied the present and past tenses of the regular verb conjugations, you can already make simple but correct sentences. It would be very helpful -not to say necessary- if you are already familiar with the Dutchspelling rules.This chapter is divided into a few subchapters.Regular verbsFirst, we will deal withregular verbs. The most important thing is that you learn how to conjugate a Dutch verb. The rules are quite simple, they are not hard to memorize.Of course, you also need to know when to use which tense. Technically speaking, we only have two tenses (the present and the past) but along with 'aspect' and 'modality', we can create other tenses like the perfect, future, or conditional tense. In total, the Dutch use eight basic tenses. If it does not make any sense to you yet at this point, rest assured: It will all become clear when you progress through this subchapter.Other conjugationsNext to the eight basic tenses mentioned above, there are a fewother conjugationsyou need to learn. We will discuss the continuous or 'progressive' ("I am eating"), the imperative ("Eat!"), the passive voice ("I am eaten"), and the subjunctive ("So be it"). You will also see how verbs can act as nouns ("the shining") or adjectives ("a shining star").Irregular verbsThey are unavoidable, unfortunately, those verbs that refuse to abide by the regular rules of conjugation. On the positive side, most Dutch irregular verbs are only irregular in their past and perfect tenses. We also call them 'strong' verbs, as opposed to weak (regular) verbs. The strong verbs must be learned by heart. It does help if you can recognize the conjugation patterns. The patterns are mentioned in thelist of strong verbs.Thetruly irregular verbscan be counted on one hand (well, almost).Auxiliary verbsJust like in English, the Dutch useauxiliary verbs. We use them for the perfect tense (Ihavesaid) but also to modify the 'main' verb, e.g. "Iwantto say", "Ihaveto say", or "Ihopeto say". Some auxiliary verbs are always followed by 'te', others by 'aan het', and some do not need any additions at all. In this subchapter, you will get a clear overview of all Dutch auxiliary verbs.Compound verbsThe Dutch just love to glue words together to form illegibly long nouns. They also apply this habit to verbs, hence the wordcompound verb. A compound verb consists of a verb and another word, likeondernemen(to undertake) ordeelnemen(to participate, to take part). Separable compound verbs fall apart -back into their original parts- when you conjugate them, inseparable verbs always remain intact. How this works exactly, you will learn in this subchapter.

Regular verbs

Strictly speaking, we only have two tenses: The present and the past. We do, however, define a few 'semi-tenses' by an interaction of tense (present or past), aspect (momentary or ongoing), and mood (is it a factual or a hypothetical statement?).This gives us a list of eight basic 'tenses'.1. presentik werkI work

2. simple pastik werkteI worked

3. perfectik heb gewerktI have worked

4. pluperfectik had gewerktI had worked

5. futureik zal werkenI will work

6. conditionalik zou werkenI would work

7. future perfectik zal hebben gewerktI will have worked

8. conditional perfectik zou hebben gewerktI would have worked

For each tense, you will have to learn two things: 1. Its conjugation (I work, he works, etc.) 2. Its application: When do we use the tense?Another common 'tense' -not mentioned here- is the continuous (or 'progressive'):ik ben aan het lopen (I am walking). This will be discussed in the next chapter, underaan hetcontinuousandtecontinuous.Thepersonal pronounsare:1st singularIik

2nd singularyouje/u

3rd singularhe/she/ithij/ze/het

1st pluralwewe

2nd pluralyoujullie

3rd pluraltheyze

As in English, in Dutch we have regular and irregular verbs.Regular verbs all follow the same conjugation. To conjugate a regular verb, we need to know the stem. Therefore, before we move on to the actual conjugation of a verb, we need to know how to derive the stem from an infinitive

The verb stem

In order to conjugate a Dutch verb, you need to know how to get the verb stem.We obtain the stem from the infinitive. The latter is the verb in its 'unconjugated' form, the way you find it in a dictionary: to work, to see, to know, etc.Dutch infinitives always end in '-en', e.g.werken(to work),zien(to see), orweten(to know).The general rule for deriving the stem:stem = infinitive minus '-en'We call this thecrude stem, because a stem often needs one or two additional adjustments.A few rules regarding the stem: Long vowel infinitives require long vowel stems A stem never ends in two identical consonants A stem never ends in v or z The stem of an '-in verb' ends in ieIf you have already familiarized yourself with the general Dutchspelling rules, the stem rules will not come as a surprise.On the following pages, we will discuss each of the above rules.

Stem rule I

Regular verbs can havelongorshortvowels. Recall, from the chapter about spelling and pronunciation (seerulesfor keeping vowels long/short):long vowel infinitives require long vowel stemsTake, for example,maken(to make).Following the rule for deriving the crude stem from the infinitive (stem = infinitive minus -en ), we would get: makThis is a short vowel (a single, closed vowel). To keep it long, we need to add an extraa. The stem then becomes: maak.

Examples of similar verbs are:

infinitiveenglishcrude stemstem

nemento takenemneem

lopento walkloploop

lerento learnlerleer

kokento cookkokkook

brekento breakbrekbreek

vurento shootvurvuur

horento hearhorhoor

wetento knowwetweet

Stem rule II

If a crude stem ends in two identical consonants, we subtract one consonant.A stem never ends in two identical consonantsRecall that a syllableneverends in two identical consonants.infinitiveenglishcrude stemstem

pakkento getpakkpak

missento missmissmis

wennento get usedwennwen

lukkento succeedlukkluk

stoppento stopstoppstop

vallento fallvallval

Stem rule III

When, after subtraction of-enfrom the infinitive (and possibly the correction for length of the vowel), the stem ends invorz, these letters turn intofandsrespectively.A stem never ends in v or z

See alsovoiced and unvoiced consonants.infinitiveenglishcrude stemstemcorrection

levento livelevleeflong vowel correction and replacing v by f

lozento dumplozlooslong vowel correction and replacing z by s

wervento acquirewervwerfreplacing v by f

wuivento wavewuivwuifreplacing v by f

bevento tremblebevbeeflong vowel correction and replacing v by f

durvento daredurvdurfreplacing v by f

bonzento poundbonzbonsreplacing z by s

Stem rule IV

There are a few verbs that end in-in. Thedieresisovereindicates thateis the beginning of a new syllable. Normally,ieis pronounced aseein the English verbseek, butinis pronounced as Englishee-ye.The stem of an-in verbends inieWhen we derive the stem of an -in verb, we only subtract -n. We maintain -e but we remove the dieresis. For example:Infinitiveruzin(to quarrel)skin(to ski)olin(to oil)

Stemruzieskieolie

Now that you know how to derive the stem from an infinitive, you will be able to conjugate a verb in all eight tenses. You will find that to do this properly, you cannot do without the knowledge about the stem you obtained in this section.

The simple present

We use the simple present tense to refer to an event that takes place right now or to a current state. You can read more about the use of this tense on the next page. Let us first look at the technical part: The conjugation of the simple present tense.ik[stem]weinfinitive

je[stem] + tjullieinfinitive

hij[stem] + tzeinfinitive

The verbsmaken, leren, hurenenkokenare all subject to the 1st stem rule: A long vowel infinitive requires a long vowel stem. maken (to make) and koken (to cook)makenstem: maakkokenstem: kook

ikmaakikkook

jemaaktjekookt

hijmaakthijkookt

wemakenwekoken

julliemakenjulliekoken

zemakenzekoken

leren (to learn) and huren (to rent)lerenstem: leerhurenstem: huur

ikleerikhuur

jeleertjehuurt

hijleerthijhuurt

welerenwehuren

jullielerenjulliehuren

zelerenzehuren

rusten (to rest) and blaten (to bleat)rustenstem: rustblatenstem: blaat

ikrustikblaat

jerustjeblaat

hijrusthijblaat

werustenweblaten

jullierustenjullieblaten

zerustenzeblaten

bloeden (to bleed) and leiden (to lead)bloedenstem: bloedleidenstem: leid

ikbloedikleid

jebloedtjeleidt

hijbloedthijleidt

webloedenweleiden

julliebloedenjullieleiden

zebloedenzeleiden

Pay special attention to the last two verbs where the stem ends in -d: even though you cannot hear -t in the 2nd and 3rd person singular, you should not forget to add -t!(*) Observing the rule that a syllable never ends intwo identical consonants: If the stem of a verb ends in-tlike rusten, the stem does not get an extra t in the conjugation of the 2nd and the 3rd person singular. ruzin (to quarrel) and olin (to oil)ruzinstem: ruzieolinstem: olie

ikruzieikolie

jeruzietjeoliet

hijruziethijoliet

weruzinweolin

jullieruzinjullieolin

zeruzinzeolin

neurin (to hum) and skin (to ski)neurinstem: neurieskinstem: skie

ikneurieikski (*)

jeneurietjeskiet

hijneuriethijskiet

weneurinweskin

jullieneurinjullieskin

zeneurinzeskin

(*) The first person singular is an exception: we subtract -e.

Using the simple present

The Dutch are keen users of the present tense. They even use it to refer to the future or hypothetical (conditional) sentences.

ik[stem]weinfinitive

je[stem] + tjullieinfinitive

hij[stem] + tzeinfinitive

The simple present tense is used in four cases:1. to refer to a momentary action that coincides with the moment we are talking about it2. to refer to an ongoing, habitual, or repetitive action or state3. to refer to a future event (in combination with an adverb of time)4. to refer to a hypothetical 'if - then' situation1. Momentary actionWe use the simple tense to refer to a momentary action that coincides with the moment we are talking about it. If I say "I look at the painting", I am looking while mentioning it. Instead of the simple present tense, we can also (and often do) use thecontinuous: "I am looking at the painting".Ikneemeen hapje.I am taking a bite.

Hetregent.It is raining.

Zevaltbijna in slaap.She is almost falling asleep.

2. Ongoing, habitual, or repetitive action or stateThe action or state is not tied to the moment we are talking about it.Zewerktbij de overheid.She works for the government.

Hijstudeertin Groningen.He studies in Groningen.

Ikwoonin Gent.I live in Ghent.

"Ik woon in Gent" implies an ongoing state. It is likely that I also lived in Ghent yesterday and I will still live there tomorrow. It is an enduring state, which is not tied to the moment I mention it. Note that the Dutchalwaysuse the simple present to refer to a state which is still going on:Ikwoonal drie jaar in Gent.I have lived in Ghent for three years.

Iktennisal vanaf mijn tiende jaar.I have played tennis ever since I was ten years old.

Hijzorgtal jaren voor zijn zieke moeder.He has been looking after his ill mother for years.

Where the English use the perfect tense, the Dutch use the simple present.A few more examples of habitual or repetitive actions:Zijkomtaltijd te laat.She is always late.

Hijluistertelke morgen naar de radio.He listens to the radio every morning.

Ikeetgeen vlees.I do not eat meat.

The vegetarian who says "Ik eet geen vlees" wants to express that he generally (habitually) does not eat meat.3. Future events or actionsAlthough we do have afuture tenseto refer to actions or events that take place in the future, the Dutch often use the simple present. The speaker uses an adverb of time (tomorrow, next week) to indicate that he is referring to the future.Weetenmorgen erwtensoep.We will eat peasoup tomorrow.

Hijvliegtaanstaande vrijdag naar Rome.He will fly to Rome coming Friday.

Ikneemer straks nog een.I will have another one in a moment.

4. Conditional sentences: If - thenWhere the English use the auxiliary verb 'will' after an 'if clause', the Dutch are perfectly happy with the simple present. The Dutch equivalent for 'will' (zullen) can be used as well (see future tense) but it will make a sentence sound rather stiff.Als je licht uitdoet,kunje de sterren beterzien.If you switch off the light, you will see the stars better.

Als alles volgens plan verloopt,komenze volgende week terug* naar Nederland.If everything is going according to the plan, they will come back to the Netherlands next week.

Als je te veel cola drinkt,krijgje gaatjes in je tanden.If you drink too much coke, you will get cavities in your teeth.

Terugkomenis a separable compound verb.

T and d verbs

Before we move on to the conjugation of thesimple past, we have to stop for a moment and look at an important phenomenon in the Dutch language.The Dutch distinguish between d and t verbs.We speak of a t-verb when the crude stem (not the 'final' stem!) of a verb ends in the consonants t, h , f, c, k, s or p. All other verbs, i.e. verbs that do not end in any of these consonants, are considered d-verbs.'t Kofschip or pocketfishIt is probably quite difficult to remember these letters separately. To remember them, the Dutch use the words't kofschip('the koff boat') or't fokschaap('the breeding sheep'), which both contain all of the t-verb consonants. The only consonant that is missing is the letter 'x'. This is not such a problem as there are only very few verb stems that end in -x. A common x-verb isfaxen(to fax). For those of you who find it hard to remember't kofschipor't fokschaap, I invented a new fish: The "pocket fish". This may be easier to remember for English speakers. Perhaps you will find a better one yourself.v and z verbsRemember, that you have to look at the last letter of thecrudestem to determine whether a verb is a t or a d-verb. The v and z infinitives can be quite misleading:InfinitiveCrude stemStemLast letter crude stemIn pocket fish?d- or t-verb?

zweven(to float)zwevzweefvnod verb

verven(to paint)vervverfvnod verb

lozen(to dump)lozloosznod verb

razen(to rage)razraasznod verb

Even though the stem ends in f or s (both part of pocket fish), the verbs are d verbs, as their crude stems end in v and z respectively.

The simple past

The Dutch use the simple past tense to refer to an event that took place in the past. On the next page, you can read more about the use of this tense.Now, why did you need to know the difference between d- and t-verbs? The reason is that they follow different conjugations. They are similar, but where a t-verb takes-te(n)in the past tense, a d-verb takes-de(n).Conjugation of a t-verbik[stem] + tewe[stem] + ten

je[stem] + tejullie[stem] + ten

hij[stem] + teze[stem] + ten

Conjugation of a d-verbik[stem] + dewe[stem] + den

je[stem] + dejullie[stem] + den

hij[stem] + deze[stem] + den

Examples merken (to notice) and wensen (to wish)merkenstem: merkwensenstem: wens

ikmerkteikwenste

jemerktejewenste

hijmerktehijwenste

wemerktenwewensten

julliemerktenjulliewensten

zemerktenzewensten

Note the double 't' in the conjugation ofrustenand double 'd' in the conjugation ofbloeden. You do not hear the double 'd' or 't', but you do have to write it!Wij bloedenandwij bloeddenare pronounced the same, but the first is the present tense, the latter the past. rusten (to rest) and bloeden (to bleed)rustenstem: rustbloedenstem: bloed

ikrustteikbloedde

jerusttejebloedde

hijrusttehijbloedde

werusttenwebloedden

jullierusttenjulliebloedden

zerusttenzebloedden

luisteren (to listen) and kussen (to kiss)luisterenstem: luisterkussenstem: kus

ikluisterdeikkuste

jeluisterdejekuste

hijluisterdehijkuste

weluisterdenwekusten

jullieluisterdenjulliekusten

zeluisterdenzekusten

roeien (to row) and lenen (to lend, to borrow)roeienstem: roeilenenstem: leen

ikroeideikleende

jeroeidejeleende

hijroeidehijleende

weroeidenweleenden

jullieroeidenjullieleenden

zeroeidenzeleenden

Using the simple past

The Dutch use the simple past tense to refer to an action or event that took place in the past. The distinction between the simple past and thepresent perfectis often rather unclear, even to Dutch speakers. In many cases, you can use both.ik[stem] + te / dewe[stem] + ten / den

je[stem] + te / dejullie[stem] + ten / den

hij[stem] + te / deze[stem] + ten / den

There are a few guidelines that will help you to decide when to use the simple past. We use the simple past:1. to refer to events that took place in the past and that do not have a relation to the present2. to describe what went on during a certain past event3. when we introduce a past action or event by 'toen' (when)1. Past events that do not have any bearing on the presentIf the event or action is still relevant to the present time, we generally use thepresent perfect. The relevance to the present is, of course, highly subjective. It is important to know that when referring to past events or actions, the present perfect ismuchmore common than the simple past.Karel de Groteregeerdevan 800 tot 814.Charlemagne reigned from 800 until 814.

De Industrile Revolutiebegonin Engeland.The Industrial Revolution began in England.

2. Describing what went on during a certain past eventWhen we refer to an event that took place in the past, all information surrounding that event is set in the simple past.Datwaszo'n natte picknick vorig jaar, weet je nog? Het regendepijpenstelen!That was such a wet picnic last year, do you remember? It was raining cats and dogs!

Op zijn verjaardagfeliciteerdenwe hem,zongenwe een verjaardagsliedje engavenwe hem een cadeau.On his birthday, we congratulated him, sang a birthday song, and gave him a present.

Tijdens de kabinetscrisiswasde premier op vakantie.During the cabinet crisis, the prime-minister was on vacation.

To set the stage in the past, we usually use thepresent perfect(written in blue in the examples below). All events and actions that follow are described by the simple past.Wezijngisteren naar de bioscoopgeweesten raad eens wie we daartegenkwamen?We went to the cinema yesterday and guess whom we ran into?

Wezijndit jaar naar Sloveni op vakantiegeweest. We verbleveneerst in een hotel in Ljubljana en daarna logeerdenwe een week bij vrienden in de buurt van het Bledmeer.This year, we went on vacation to Slovenia. First, we stayed in a hotel in Ljubljana and then, we stayed a week with friends near Lake Bled.

Erisveel commotie rondgeweest. Ze zeiden dat hij het geld had verduisterd.There has been a lot of commotion about it. They said that he had embezzled the money.

The last example already gives you a preview of thepluperfect('had verduisterd' or 'had embezzled').3. Introducing a past action or event by 'toen' (when)When we point to a past event by using 'toen' (when), we generally use the simple past tense. If we use the perfect tense at all, it must be thepluperfect.Toen ik wakkerwerd,scheende zon volop.When I woke up, the sun was shining brightly.

Toen weterugkwamenvan vakantie,schrokkenwe ons kapot: erliepenallemaal kakkerlakken in de badkamer!When got back from vacation, we were really shocked: We had cock-roaches in our bathroom!

Toen je drie jaarwerd,kreegje een knuffelbeer met een grote rode hoed.When you turned three, you got a teddy bear with a huge red hat.

Note that we also use 'toen' as a translation of 'then'. The above examples of 'toen' all mean 'when'.

The past participle

For the perfect tense, we use a past participle. For the conjugation of the past participle, we must distinguish between t-verbs and d-verbs(just like we did for thesimple past). To establish whether we are dealing with a t-verb or a d-verb, we have to look at the last letter of the verb stem. If this is t, h, f, c, k, s or p, ("pocket fish") it is a t-verb, all other verbs are d-verbs.past participle =ge+ [stem] +t / dWhether the past participle ends in a -t or -d depends of course on whether the verb is at or a d-verb.makento makestem: maak(t-verb)past participle:ge + maak + t = gemaakt

luisterento listenstem: luister(d-verb)past participle:ge + luister + d= geluisterd

In DutchI have madebecomes:ik heb gemaakt.The ge + stem + t/d rule applies to most regular verbs, but there are also verbs that need an extra or different treatment.Two points to bear in mind for the past participle:1. A past participle never ends in doubletor doubledIf the stem ends in -t we do not add an extra t to the past participle, if a stem ends in -d, we skip the extra d. This is actually not really an exception, if you remember that a syllable never ends intwo identical consonants.rustento restdoes not become:ge + rust + tbut: ge + rust = gerust

bloedento bleeddoes not become:ge + bloed + dbut: ge + bloed= gebloed

2. Prefixesbe-, er-, ge-, her-, ont-andver-All verbs that begin with the prefixes: be-, er-, ge-, her-*, ont-, and ver- do not getge-before the past participle. The prefix replacesge-. The rule for forming the past participle is here: (noge) stem + t/d.infinitivein englishpast participle

verdelento distributestem+d = verdeeld

geschiedento happenstem (no extra 'd') = geschied

betalento paystem+d = betaald

ontdekkento discoverstem+t = ontdekt

erkennento acknowledgestem+d = erkend

herkennento recognizestem+d = herkend

*) In the category of her-words, there are a few exceptions:infinitivein englishpast participle

herbergento accommodatege+stem+d = geherbergd

herhuisvestento relocatege+stem (no t ) = geherhuisvest

herstructurerento restructurege+stem+d = geherstructureerd

The present perfect

For the perfect tense, we generally use the verbhebben(to have), just like in English: "You have worked". For a few verbs we usezijn(to be). See alsohebbenandzijnand the past participle.The verb that followshebbenorzijnis the past participle (pp). Just like with the simple past, you need to know the difference betweend and t verbswhen you form thepast participle.Hebbenandzijnare both irregular verbs.ikheb/ben + ppwehebben/zijn + pp

jehebt/bent + ppjulliehebben/zijn + pp

hijheeft/is + ppzehebben/zijn + pp

A few examples of the conjugation of the perfect tense: blaffen (to bark) and branden (to burn)blaffenstem: blafbrandenstem: brand

ikheb geblaftikheb gebrand

jehebt geblaftjehebt gebrand

hijheeft geblafthijheeft gebrand

wehebben geblaftwehebben gebrand

julliehebben geblaftjulliehebben gebrand

zehebben geblaftzehebben gebrand

zaaien (to sow) and groeien (to grow)zaaienstem: zaaigroeien*stem: groei

ikheb gezaaidikben gegroeid

jehebt gezaaidjebent gegroeid

hijheeft gezaaidhijis gegroeid

wehebben gezaaidwezijn gegroeid

julliehebben gezaaidjulliezijn gegroeid

zehebben gezaaidzezijn gegroeid

(*) For the past participle ofgroeien, we usezijn.

Using the present perfect

We use the present perfect for past actions and events. This can be a bit confusing because this is precisely what we said about thesimple past! The Dutch themselves often mix up these two tenses and there are no strict rules that tell you when to use which tense. We only have a few guidelines. You may find this lack of clear instructions annoying but you can also see it from the positive side: You will hardly ever be really wrong.ikheb/ben + ppwehebben/zijn + pp

jehebt/bent + ppjulliehebben/zijn + pp

hijheeft/is + ppzehebben/zijn + pp

I advise you to read the page about using thesimple pastfirst. If you know when to use the simple past, you can safely use the present perfect in all other cases.When referring to an event that took place in the past, we usually opt for the present perfect.Hijheefthaar vandaag al drie keergebeld.He already called her three times today.

Ikbennog nooit zo gelukkiggeweest!I have never been this happy!

Afgelopen zaterdaghebbenwe languitgeslapen.Last Saturday, we slept till late.

We often combine the present perfect with the simple past. The present perfect sets the event in the past, the simple past describes what went on during that event.

The pluperfect

The pluperfect works in the precise same way as thepresent perfect, but this time, we use the simplepasttense of the verbshebbenorzijnbefore thepast participle.ikhad/was + ppwehadden/waren + pp

jehad/was + ppjulliehadden/waren + pp

hijhad/was + ppzehadden/waren + pp

praten (to talk) and luisteren (to listen)pratenstem: praatluisterenstem: luister

ikhad gepraatikhad geluisterd

jehad gepraatjehad geluisterd

hijhad gepraathijhad geluisterd

wehadden gepraatwehadden geluisterd

julliehadden gepraatjulliehadden geluisterd

zehadden gepraatzehadden geluisterd

vallen (to fall) and betalen (to pay)vallen*stem: valbetalenstem: betaal

ikwas gevallenikhad betaald

jewas gevallenjehad betaald

hijwas gevallenhijhad betaald

wewaren gevallenwehadden betaald

julliewaren gevallenjulliehadden betaald

zewaren gevallenzehadden betaald

For the past participle of thestrong verb'vallen', we usezijn.

Using the pluperfect

We use the pluperfect to refer to an event that occured before another past event.ikhad/was + ppwehadden/waren + pp

jehad/was + ppjulliehadden/waren + pp

hijhad/was + ppzehadden/waren + pp

Suppose we are at the theatre. Weare watchinga play that youhavealreadyseenbefore. Tomorrow, I will say: "Yesterday, wewatcheda play that youhadalreadyseenbefore." The event of watching a play is in the past but you had already seen it before this past event. For this past-past event, we use the pluperfect.Toen wij aankwamen,warende meeste gasten al gearriveerd.When we came, most guestshadalreadyarrived.

Anderlecht heeft de wedstrijd gewonnen maar dathadden we alvoorspeld.Anderlecht has won the match but wehadalreadypredictedthat.

Nadat wehadden uitgelegddat we onze vluchthadden gemist, lieten ze ons in de vertrekhal slapen.After wehad explainedthat wehad missedour flights, they let us sleep in the departure hall.

Voorspeldis the past participle of theinseparable compound verbvoorspellenanduitgelegdthe past participle of the separable compound verbuitleggen.

The simple future

For the future tense, we use the auxiliary verbzullen(will). At least, this is what we are taught at school. In every day's Dutch, we use other ways to express that an event takes place in the future. On the next page, you can read more about the use of the future tense.zullenis an irregular verb.ikzal + infinitivewezullen + infinitive

jezult/zal + infinitivejulliezullen + infinitive

hijzal + infinitivezezullen + infinitive

Je zultandje zalhave the same meaning and both are equally correct. Some people prefer to use 'zult', others like 'zal' better.Examples praten (to talk) and luisteren (to listen)pratenstem: praatluisterenstem: luister

ikzal pratenikzal luisteren

jezult/zal pratenjezult/zal luisteren

hijzal pratenhijzal luisteren

wezullen pratenwezullen luisteren

julliezullen pratenjulliezullen luisteren

zezullen pratenzezullen luisteren

vallen (to fall) and betalen (to pay)vallenstem: valbetalenstem: betaal

ikzal vallenikzal betalen

jezult/zal vallenjezult/zal betalen

hijzal vallenhijzal betalen

wezullen vallenwezullen betalen

julliezullen vallenjulliezullen betalen

zezullen vallenzezullen betalen

Using the simple future

Although Dutch children are taught thatzullen + infinitiveconstitutes the future tense, it really is quite a formal way to talk about a future event. On our forum, you can read an interesting topic aboutthe use of zullen.ikzal + infinitivewezullen + infinitive

jezult + infinitivejulliezullen + infinitive

hijzal + infinitivezezullen + infinitive

On this page, you will learn how the Dutch usually refer to the future but first, we will discuss the use ofzullen + infintive.So when do we usezullen + infinitive?Zullen + infinitive is more similar to 'shall' than to 'will'. We use it to: express a promise or a proposal stress that something will most certainly happen (it is bound to happen) express that an event is likely going to take place (by explicitly mentioning the probability)Now you may wonder when we donotuse it. We do not use it when we casually talk about events that are going to take place in the future. By 'casually', I mean that we are not stressing that the eventmusttake place, nor do we give any indication about the probability of the event. We also do not use it in conditional (if-then) sentences. Expressing a promise, a proposal, or a solemn plan:Ikzalhet nooit meerdoen!I shall not do it again (I promise!)

Zalik de afwasdoen?Shall I do the dishes?

Ikzaldaar geen genoegen meenemen!I will not settle for that!

Stressing that something is bound to happen:Jezultdat nog nodighebben.You are going to need it.

Hetzalniet makkelijkzijn.It will not be easy.

Daarzalniet veel vanoverblijven.There will not be much left of it.

Expressing that an event is likely going to take place by explicitly mentioning the probability.The probabilities are written in blue.Hijzalhetwaarschijnlijkmorgenbekendmaken.He will probably announce it tomorrow.

Hetzalmorgenwelweerregenen.It will probably rain again tomorrow.

Jezulthaarwelherkennen.You will probably recognize her.

We use the modal particle 'wel' for a variety of purposes (see also our forum topicNogmaals over zinnen met het woord wel). When we combine 'wel' with 'zullen', it means 'waarschijnlijk' (probably).How do the Dutch usually refer to the future?The Dutch often use the verbgaaninstead ofzullen. We could compare this with Englishgoing to. We use it: to express an intended action (but no promise, proposal, or solemn plan); to say that an event is going to take place (without stressing the certainty or mentioning the probability).Ikgavanavond pannenkoekenbakken.I am going to bake pancakes tonight.

Dit jaargaanwe nog veel leuke dingendoen.We are going to do many nice things this year.

Zijgaatmorgen een liedje voor onszingen.Tomorrow, she is going to sing a song for us.

Hetgaatmorgenregenen.It is going to rain tomorrow.

If the point in time that the event is going to take place is explicitly mentioned, we often use thesimple present.The adverbs of time are written in blue.Ikbakvanavondpannenkoeken.Tonight, I will bake pancakes.

Dit jaardoenwe nog veel leuke dingen.This year, we will do many nice things.

Zezingtmorgeneen liedje voor ons.Tomorrow, she will sing a song for us.

Wedoenhetde volgende keersamen.Next time, we will do it together.

The future perfect

The future perfect is rather uncommon in Dutch. We use it if we want to say that somethingwill have been completed in the future. On the next page, you can read more about when the Dutch use this tense. For the conjugation of the future perfect, you have to combine your knowledge of thefuture tenseand theperfect tense. Do read these pages first, otherwise you are going to have a hard time understanding the conjugation below.ikzalhebben/zijn+ pp

jezulthebben/zijn+ pp

hijzalhebben/zijn+ pp

wezullenhebben/zijn+ pp

julliezullenhebben/zijn+ pp

zezullenhebben/zijn+ pp

PP is, of course, the past participle. redden (to rescue) and lenen (to borrow)reddenstem: redlenenstem: leen

ikzal hebben geredikzal hebben geleend

jezal hebben geredjezal hebben geleend

hijzal hebben geredhijzal hebben geleend

wezullen hebben geredwezullen hebben geleend

julliezullen hebben geredjulliezullen hebben geleend

zezullen hebben geredzezullen hebben geleend

spelen (to play) and gaan (to go)spelenstem: speelgaan*stem: ga

ikzal hebben gespeeldikzal zijn gegaan

jezal hebben gespeeldjezal zijn gegaan

hijzal hebben gespeeldhijzal zijn gegaan

wezullen hebben gespeeldwezullen zijn gegaan

julliezullen hebben gespeeldjulliezullen zijn gegaan

zezullen hebben gespeeldzezullen zijn gegaan

Gaanis an irregular verb and we usezijn(to be) instead ofhebben(to have).Using the future perfect

We use the future perfect to say that somethingwill have been completedat some point in the future. If I have to finish an assignment by tomorrow, I could say "I will have finished it tomorrow".ikzalhebben/zijn+ pp

jezult/zalhebben/zijn+ pp

hijzalhebben/zijn+ pp

wezullenhebben/zijn+ pp

julliezullenhebben/zijn+ pp

zezullenhebben/zijn+ pp

In Dutch, this tense is quite uncommon. Instead of the future perfect, the Dutch usually opt for thepresent perfect.[future perfect - less common]Morgenzalze het allemaalzijn vergeten.Tomorrow, she will have forgotten all about it.

[present perfect - common]Morgenisze het allemaalvergeten.Tomorrow, she has forgotten all about it.

[future perfect - less common]Als de crisis voorbij is,zalhet probleem nog nietzijn opgelost.When the crisis is over, the problem will not have been solved yet.

[present perfect - common]Als de crisis voorbij is,ishet probleem nog nietopgelost.When the crisis is over, the problem is not solved yet.

The Dutch basically say: "Tomorrow, shehasforgotten all about it", and "When the crisis is over, the problemisnot solved yet" (instead of "... shewill haveforgotten ...", and "... the problemwillnothavebeen solved ...").

The conditional

We use the conditional tense to refer to hypothetical situations. On the next page, this will be further explained.The conditional tense works the same as thefuture tense, but instead of the present tense of the (irregular) verb zullen, we use the past tense:ikzou + infinitivewezouden + infinitive

jezou + infinitivejulliezouden + infinitive

hijzou + infinitivezezouden + infinitive

Examples zeggen (to say) and luisteren (to listen)zeggenstem: zegluisterenstem: luister

ikzou zeggenikzou luisteren

jezou zeggenjezou luisteren

hijzou zeggenhijzou luisteren

wezouden zeggenwezouden luisteren

julliezouden zeggenjulliezouden luisteren

zezouden zeggenzezouden luisteren

springen (to jump) and betalen (to pay)springenstem: springbetalenstem: betaal

ikzou springenikzou betalen

jezou springenjezou betalen

hijzou springenhijzou betalen

wezouden springenwezouden betalen

julliezouden springenjulliezouden betalen

zezouden springenzezouden betalen

Using the conditionalikzou + infinitivewezouden + infinitive

jezou + infinitivejulliezouden + infinitive

hijzou + infinitivezezouden + infinitive

We use the conditional tense to refer to hypothetical situations. The most common form is the conditional:Ifcertain criteriaweremet,thena certain hypothetical situationwould bethe case.Will and wouldFor more realistic situations (less 'hypothetical'), we can also use the future tense:Ifcertain criteriaaremet,thena certain hypothetical situationwill bethe case. In this case, however, the Dutch normally use thesimple present.Present and futureAlthough we use thepasttense of the verbzullen(zouden), we are referring to hypothetical situations in the present or future. For past hypothetical situations, we use theconditional perfect.If - then situationsFor the verbs in the if-clause, the English often use the subjunctive (not 'he was' but 'he were').Datzouik niet doen als ik jouwas.I would not do that if I were you.

Als hij niet zo verlegenwas,zouhij meer vriendenhebben.If he were not so shy, he would have more friends.

Sometimes, the if-then structure is not clearly visible:Wezoudenons maarvervelen(als we er te lang bleven)We would only be bored (if we stayed there too long)

Datzouwel heel vreemdzijn. (als het waar is wat je zegt)That would be really strange (if what you are saying is true)

In English, 'would' can only occur in the then-clause. A sentence like: "If I would..., then I would..." is not considered proper English: We cannot use the conditional tense on both sides of the comma.The Dutch, however, do not see anything wrong with this construction. This means you can come across the following sentences, which all mean "If I had to choose again, I would choose the same".Four ways to say the same thingLiteral translation

Als ik opnieuwmoest kiezen, danzouik hetzelfdekiezen.If I had to choose again, I would choose the same.

Als ik opnieuwzou moeten kiezen, dankoosik hetzelfde.If I would have to choose again, I chose the same.

Als ik opnieuwzou moeten kiezen, danzouik hetzelfde kiezen.If I would have to choose again, I would choose the same.

Als ik opnieuwmoest kiezen, dankoosik hetzelfde.If I had to choose again, I chose the same.

The last example shows you the Dutch can refer to a hypothetical event by using the simple past on both sides.Supposed-to-be situationsZoudenis also used when we talk about what should be the case according to our norms, plans, or expectations.Hijzouvandaag op tijdkomen(maar hij was wr te laat).He was supposed to be on time today (but he was late again).

Zezoudeneroverophouden(maar nu hebben ze het er weer over).They were supposed to stop talking about it (but now they are talking about it again).

Hijzoutot januariblijven.He was going to stay until January.

Polite formWe also usezoudento sound more polite.To politely express a wish, we add the adverbgraag('with pleasure', please), which gives us the equivalent ofEnglish I would like...Ikzougraag een retourtje Leidenwillen.I would like a return ticket to Leiden.

We also use zou(den) to make a suggestion in the form of a question: "Would it not be better if..."Zouhet niet makkelijkerzijnals je gewoon een schaar gebruikte?Would it not be easier if you simply used scissors?

ShouldIn Dutch, we do not have a verb for should. Instead, we use a combination of two verbs:zouden moeten.The equivalent ofI should workin Dutch isik zou moeten werken. Thus, if we place the infinitivemoeten(to must, to have to) afterzouden, we get the equivalent of Englishshould.Ikzoumijn tentamens betermoeten voorbereiden.I should prepare for my tests better

Wezoudendaar niet te langmoeten blijven.We should not stay there too long.

Dat zou jemoeten weten.You should know that.

Note that we do not always translateshouldtozouden moeten. When the required action is urgent or presented as a clear command, we often simply suffice by sayingmoeten:Watmoetenwe nudoen?What should we do now?

Jemoetje identiteitsbewijs altijd bij jedragen.You should always carry your ID.

Je moetbetter opletten.You should pay more attention.

The conditional perfect

While the (simple)conditionaltense refers to hypothetical situations in the present or future, the conditional perfect refers to hypothetical situations in the past.The conjugation is the same as thefuture perfecttense, with the only difference that the verb zullen is conjugated in the simple past tense.ikzouhebben/zijn+ pp

jezouhebben/zijn+ pp

hijzouhebben/zijn+ pp

wezoudenhebben/zijn+ pp

julliezoudenhebben/zijn+ pp

zezoudenhebben/zijn+ pp

Examples dansen (to dance) and rennen (to run)dansenstem: dansrennenstem: ren

ikzou hebben gedanstikzou hebben gerend

jezou hebben gedanstjezou hebben gerend

hijzou hebben gedansthijzou hebben gerend

wezouden hebben gedanstwezouden hebben gerend

julliezouden hebben gedanstjulliezouden hebben gerend

zezouden hebben gedanstzezouden hebben gerend

wachten (to wait) and vertrekken (to leave)wachtenstem: wachtvertrekken*stem: vertrek

ikzou hebben gewachtikzou zijn vertrokken

jezou hebben gewachtjezou zijn vertrokken

hijzou hebben gewachthijzou zijn vertrokken

wezouden hebben gewachtwezouden zijn vertrokken

julliezouden hebben gewachtjulliezouden zijn vertrokken

zezouden hebben gewachtzezouden zijn vertrokken

Vertrekken is astrong verband we usezijn(to be) instead ofhebben(to have).Using the conditional perfectikzouhebben/zijn+ pp

jezouhebben/zijn+ pp

hijzouhebben/zijn+ pp

wezoudenhebben/zijn+ pp

julliezoudenhebben/zijn+ pp

zezoudenhebben/zijn+ pp

We use the conditional perfect to refer to hypothetical situations in the past. Just like the simple conditional tense, it mainly serves to express a conditional clause:Ifcertain criteriahad beenmet,thena certain hypothetical situation would have beenthe case.In the examples below, the verbs of the conditional perfect are written in blue.Als jegoed had opgelet,zoujehebben gemerktdat...If you had paid attention, you would have noticed that...

Hetzounog veel ergerzijn geweestals de motor het ook had begeven.It would have been a lot worse if the engine had also broken down.

In English, we cannot use the conditional tense on both sides of the comma. If the 'then-clause' is in the conditional perfect tense, the 'if-clause' usually gets the pluperfect tense.In this respect, the Dutch are very easy-going: It does not matter which clause gets the conditional perfect. Moreover, you can completely do without the conditional perfect and still refer to a past hypothetical event (see the fourth example below).The verbs of the conditional perfect are displayed in blue.Four ways to say the same thingLiteral translation

Als ik iets laterwas vertrokken,zouik in de filehebben gestaan.If I had left a bit later, I would have been in a traffic jam.

Als ik iets laterzou zijn vertrokken,hadik in de file gestaan.If I would have left a bit later, I had been in a traffic jam.

Als ik iets laterzou zijn vertrokken,zouik in de file hebben gestaan.If I would have left a bit later, I would have been in a traffic jam.

Als ik iets laterwas vertrokken,hadik in de filegestaan.If I had left a bit later, I had been in a traffic jam.

Although we do use the conditional perfect in Dutch, the last example shows us a very common way to refer to past hypothetical situations. We often do not use the conditional perfect at all. Instead, we opt for thepluperfect tense.Using the pluperfect to refer to past hypothetical eventsIn Dutch, we often use thepluperfect tenseto express a hypothetical situation in the past.Ikhaddat zeker nietgedaan.I certainly would not have done that.

Als je op tijdwas geweest, danhadje het alafgehad.If you had been on time, (then) you would have finished it already.

Another way of writing an 'als-subclause' is to leave out 'als' and to invert the finite form (meaning that the finite verb and subject switch places):Wasje op tijd geweest, danhadje het alafgehad.Had you been on time, (then) you would have finished it already.

Should haveFor "should have [past participle]", the Dutch say: "hadden moeten* [infinitive]." The Dutch construction is in the pluperfect tense, which we often use instead of the conditional perfect.Ikhaddat nietmoeten zeggen.I should not have said that.

Ikhadmijn tentamen betermoeten voorbereiden.I should have prepared for the test better.

(*) Normally, the verbs that follow afterhebben,worden, orzijnare past participles: Here, we find an infinitive (moeten). For the explanation: seepast participle turning into an infinitive.

Past participle turning into an infinitiveIn Dutch, a past participle cannot serve as an auxiliary verb. To make the verb act as an auxiliary verb, we must transform the past participle into an infinitive:when the past participleitselfserves as an auxiliary verb,it turns into an infinitiveIn the examples below, the auxiliary verbs are in italics, the independent verbs in bold. The verbs that undergo a transformation from participle to infinitive are underlined.Note, how the independent participle turns into an infinitive when it serves as an auxiliary verb to support another (independent) verb.Annelieshadeen ijsjegewild.Annelieshadwantedan ice-cream.

Thijmenhadeen ijsjewilleneten(not: gewild eten).Thijmenhadwantedtohavean ice-cream.

The independent participlegewildturns into the infinitivewillenwhen it has to supporteten.

Sanneisnaar Amsterdamgekomen.Sannehascometo Amsterdam.

Liesbethiskomenlopen(not: gekomen lopen).Liesbethhas comewalking(lit).

The past participlegekomenbecomes the infinitivekomen.Wehebbeneen uurstaanwachten(not: gestaan wachten).Wehave beenwaitingfor an hour.

Ikhadbetermoetenweten(not: gemoeten weten).Ishould haveknownbetter.

The above only applies to the situation where the past participle serves as an auxiliary verb. Consider the following example:Amirzou zijngekomen.Amirwould havecome.

Here, the past participle is the independent verb and hence does not turn into an infinitive.

Summarizing the regular verbsHow to get the proper stem from an infinitive1. Step 1: divide the infinitive into syllables2. Step 2: determine whether the verb has a short or a long vowel. Recall, that if you have an open e, it is not necessarily a long vowel. It is only long when it is stressed.3. Step 3: subtract -en to obtain the crude stem4. Step 4: If the infinitive has a long vowel, make sure the stem is long too (add a vowel if necessary)5. Step 5: If the crude stem ends in two identical consonants, subtract one6. Step 6: If the crude stem ends in v or z, replace by f or s respectively.All tensespresent simplepast simple

ik [stem]ik [stem] + de/te

je [stem] + tje [stem] + de/te

hij [stem] + thij [stem] + de/te

we infinitivewe [stem] + den/ten

jullie infinitivejullie [stem] + den/ten

ze infinitive

ze [stem] + den/ten

perfectpluperfect

ik heb ge + [stem] + d/tik had ge + [stem] + d/t

je hebt ge + [stem] + d/tje had ge + [stem] + d/t

hij heeft ge + [stem] + d/thij had ge + [stem] + d/t

we hebben ge + [stem] + d/twe hadden ge + [stem] + d/t

jullie hebben ge + [stem] + d/tjullie hadden ge + [stem] + d/t

ze hebben ge + [stem] + d/tze hadden ge + [stem] + d/t

futureconditional

ik zal infinitiveik zou infinitive

je zult infinitiveje zou infinitive

hij zal infinitivehij zou infinitive

we zullen infinitivewe zouden infinitive

jullie zullen infinitivejullie zouden infinitive

ze zullen infinitiveze zouden infinitive

future perfectconditional perfect

ik zal hebben ppik zou hebben pp

je zult hebben ppjij zou hebben pp

hij zal hebben pphij zou hebben pp

we zullen hebben ppwe zouden hebben pp

jullie zullen hebben ppjullie zouden hebben pp

ze zullen hebben ppze zouden hebben pp

Other conjugations

In this chapter the other conjugations will be discussed, 'other' as in other than the eight basis tenses in the previous chapter.The other conjugations are:conjugationenglishdutch

1. 'aan het' continuoushe is singinghij is aan het zingen

2. 'te' continuoushe is singinghij staat (loopt/ligt/zit) te zingen

3. passive voicehe is seenhij wordt gezien

4. imperativework!werk!

5. subjunctivelong live the queenlang leve de koningin

6. present participlea working maneen werkende man

7. 'verbable'that is fixabledat is te repareren

8. verb nounthe rising of the sunhet opgaan van de zon

The 'aan het' continuous

Just like in English, in Dutch we use the verbzijn(to be) to express the continuous.The continuous is formed by a conjugation ofzijnfollowed by the wordsaan hetand the infinitive of the verb that specifies the action:zijn + aan het + infinitiveThe wordaanis a preposition meaning 'at' and the word het is a definite article (the)1.To conjugate the continuous is to conjugate the verbzijn. We form the continuous by a conjugation of[zijn+aan het+ infinitive] of the verb specifying the action.present tense (I am studying)ikbenaan het+ infinitive

jebentaan het+ infinitive

hij/zij/hetisaan het+ infinitive

wezijnaan het+ infinitive

julliezijnaan het+ infinitive

zezijnaan het+ infinitive

past tense (I was studying)ikwasaan het+ infinitive

jewasaan het+ infinitive

hij/zij/hetwasaan het+ infinitive

wewarenaan het+ infinitive

julliewarenaan het+ infinitive

zewarenaan het+ infinitive

You may know that the perfect tense of the aan het continuous does not perfectly follow the conjugation ofzijn. In fact, it does not really follow theaan hetidea at all. We will discuss this tense later.First, have a look at a few examples of theaan hetcontinuous in the simple present and past tenses:Ik ben de afwas aan het doen.I am doing the dishes.

Mijn broer was zich aan het scheren.My brother was shaving (himself)

De honden zijn aan het blaffen.The dogs are barking.

De kinderen waren aan het spelen.The children were playing.

[1] An article always precedes a noun, which means that the verb specifying the action is actually a noun.

The 'aan het' perfectIn Dutch, the perfect 'aan het' continuous is not as commonly used as in English. Where an Englishman would say "he has been working all day", a Dutchman usually says "he has worked all day". So where an Englishman uses the perfect continuous, a Dutchman would simply opt for the perfect tense described in the previous chapter (seepresent perfect andpluperfect).You will do fine without knowing how to use the perfect continuous. Not only is it quite uncommon in the Dutch language, its formation is also not exactly easy.If you only just started learning Dutch, you can skip the section below and jump to the next section about thete-continuous. Otherwise, glance through the formula, so that you are able to recognize this tense when someone else uses it.Formation of the perfect 'aan het' continuousIn the perfect tense, we leave outaan hetand we use an alternative form ofzijn:wezen.Before we continue, let us first look at the formula for the formation of the perfect 'aan het' continuous:zijn + wezen + infinitive"I have been working" becomes:ik ben wezen werken(not: ikben geweestwerken)Two things must strike you as odd: first of all, we apparently use an infinitive instead of a past participle and second, we seem to shift to a completely new verb:wezen.If you are not interested in thewhy, but just want to know thehow, read the examples below and see if you can see how they correspond with the above formula. Comfort yourself with the thought that this construction is not commonly used.For the more curious among you, an explanation will follow after the examples.Ik ben de muren wezen schilderen.I have been painting the walls.

De bewoners zijn wezen klagen op het gemeentehuis.The residents have been complaining at the city hall .

Mijn zus en ik zijn wezen winkelen.My sister and I have been shopping.

De boeren waren koeien wezen melken.The farmers had been milking cows.

You may wonder: If the continuous perfect is uncommon, what do you normally use instead? Where English speakers would use the perfect continuous, in Dutch, we simply opt for the "normal" (non-continuous) present perfectorpluperfect.

Understanding the perfect continuous

The past participle ofzijnisgeweest.Present perfect = ik ben[1]geweest (I have been)Pluperfect = ik was geweest (I had been)Why do we use an infinitive instead of a past participle?As you will read in the section about auxiliary verbs and thepast participle, a past participle always turns into an infinitive if it serves as an auxiliary verb to support an independent verb. In the example above, the verbwezenserves as an auxiliary verb forwerken.Why do we use 'wezen' instead of 'zijn'?Following the rule that a past participle turns into an infinitive if it serves as an auxiliary verb, we would expect geweestto turn intozijn. Instead, we apparently opt for a different infinitive:wezen. In fact,wezenmeans the exact same aszijn, it is merely an old-fashioned form of it. You can still recognize this verb in several conjugations ofzijn, e.g. the past participlegeweest.Yet another way to form the perfect aan het continuousTo make things even more complicated, the Dutch sometimes use another way to set theaan hetcontinuous in the perfect tense. You do not have to learn this construction since it is even less common than the perfectaan het continuous described above. I am only writing it down so that you will recognize it in the rare case that you come across it.Because of its little importance, I am not going to place the 'formula' in a box this time. The alternative way to form the perfect aan het continuous is simply the "aan hetcontinuous +geweest." For example: "We zijn de hele dag aan het winkelen geweest" ("We have been shopping all day", or "Hij is een week lang aan het schilderen geweest" ("He has been painting for a week").If this form is used at all, it serves to stress the duration of the activity, e.g.de hele dag(all day) oreen week lang(for a week).[1] Note, thatzijnis one of those verbs that take zijn (nothebben) as an auxiliary verb in the perfect tense.

The 'te' continuousIn Dutch, we have another way for forming the continuous. A formal term probably does exist, but we will simply call it the 'te-continuous'.Using this type of continuous, you express the physical situation of the subject. We use the verbsliggen(lie),zitten (sit),staan(stand), andlopen(walk) as auxiliary verbs. We also usehangen(to hang) sometimes but this is less common.The te-continuous is formed by:hangen, liggen, lopen, staan, zitten+ te + infinitiveYou can translate "Ik zit te denken", to "I am thinking while sitting down". If you asked me what I was doing while sitting right in front of me, it would probably be not necessary to tell you that I am sitting since you probably noticed that already. Yet, in Dutch, we often add this irrelevant bit of information.Examples:Hijligt te slapen.He is sleeping (while he is lying)

Ikzit te lezen.I am reading (while sitting)

Hijstaat te koken.He is cooking (while standing)

Ikloop te zingen.I am singing (while walking)

Zehangenmaarte nietsen.They are not doing anything (while hanging around)

The perfect tense of the te-continuousThe perfect tense of the te-continuous is similar to the perfect 'aan het'-continuous: : We omit the preposition (te) and we use an infinitive instead of a past participle.hebben+ infinitive of hangen / liggen / lopen / staan / zitten+ infinitiveThe perfect te continuous is more common than the perfect aan het continuous. However, in Dutch, we use the 'normal' (non-continuous) perfect much more often than the continuous perfect.Hijheeft liggen slapen.He has been sleeping

Ikheb zitten lezen.I have been reading

Hijheeft staan koken.He has been cooking

Ikheb lopen zingen.I have been singing

De washeeft hangen drogen.The laundry has been drying

As you can see, the perfect tense does not get a past participle (seeauxiliary verbs and the past participle). Instead,hebbenis followed by an infinitive ofliggen, staan, lopen, zitten,orhangen.

The passive voiceIn English we use the verbsto beor tobecomefor the passive.activepassive

I wash your hairyour hairiswashed (by me)

he has cleaned the housethe househas beencleaned (by him)

the music excites meIamexcited (by the music)

After the passive, we can always put the constructionby + agent.The passive is not a tense. A tense indicates the point in time an event occurred. The passive voice can take all tenses, e.g. the passive simple, passive perfect, passive pluperfect, etc.Formation of the passive in DutchIn Dutch, we use the same verbs:passive voice: 'zijn' and 'worden'Zijn(to be) andworden(to become) are irregular verbs.Just like in English, we use thepast participleto form the passive.There is, however, one important difference. Just compare the English and Dutch phrases below.EnglishAuxiliary verbDutchAuxiliary verb

My hairiswashedto beMijn haarwordtgewassenworden

My hairwaswashedto beMijn haarwerdgewassenworden

My hairhas beenwashedto beMijn haarisgewassenzijn

My hairhad beenwashedto beMijn haarwasgewassenzijn

Note that in English, we use 'is' and 'was' for the simple tense, whereas in Dutch, we use the exact same words for the perfect tense!In English, we use the same verb for both the simple and the perfect tenses (to be). In the examples above, we used 'to be'. In Dutch, on the other hand, we use two different verbs:wordenandzijn.WordenandzijnWordenis used if the event is still going on at this particular moment. In English we would use the simple tense of to be, to become or, sometimes, to get.Zijnis used when we want to express that an event has already occurred or been done (perfect tense). In English, we would use the perfect tense of 'to be'.

The imperativeFor the imperative, we use thepresent tenseof the 1st person singular. For regular verbs, this is theverb stem.Gaweg!Go away!

Gooidat maar weg.Just throw that away.

Neemdat mee.Take that with you.

Komeens mee.Just come here.

The verbzijnhas an irregular imperative. Instead ofben(1st person singular), we use the stem of the verbwezen(an old-fashioned form ofzijn):Weesstil!Be quiet!

If you want to be polite, you can use thepresent tenseof the more formal 2nd person. If you use the polite imperative, you have to add thepersonal pronounu:Vult udit formulier in.Fill in the form.

Betaalt uaan de kassa.Pay at the counter.

Blijft umaar zitten.Just remain seated.

Weest umaar niet bang.Don't be afraid.

For the English expression "let's ...". we say:laten we ...Laten wewat gaan drinken.Let's go for a drink.

Laten wegaan.Let's go.

Note that we usewenotons.When a command is general and no particular person is addressed, we use the infinitive. This is particularly common on public signs.NietrokenDo not smoke

NietaanrakenDo not touch

Trekken / duwenPull / push

NietstorenDo not disturb

The verb as an adjectiveBoth in Dutch and English, there are many ways in which verbs can be part of adjectives or adverbs:voorspelbaarpredictablespraakzaamtalkative

slapeloossleeplessvervelendannoying

dromerigdreamybewerkelijkelaborate

To form a verb-based adjective, we can add suffixes like -baar, -zaam, -ig, etc. Here, we will discuss two types of verb-based adjectives: thegerundand theverbable.

The present participleIn English, the present participle is formed by stem + '-ing', e.g. working, sleeping, eating. This form is used in a variety of grammar constructions.

In Dutch, the present participle is formed by:infinitive + dIt is, however, only used as an adjective or adverb.Used as an adjective, it sometimes gets an additional-e.een werkendstela working couple

vertrouwendoptrusting in

een lopenderekeninga current account

zingendemensensinging people

The 'verbable'There are several Dutch equivalents of the suffix -able, the most common being -zaam and -baar.If we want to say that something is *verb*able (e.g. understandable, walkable), we can also use a special construction, usingte.We do this by:te + infinitiveDo appreciate, that this construction is an adjective! It does not have a present, past, or perfect tense, nor does the infinitive function as an independent verb. It may not seem important to you at this point, but when you study the word order, you will see that adjectives (or thecomplement) do not get the same position as verbs.

jouw haar is kambaaryour hair is 'combable'

jouw haar iste kammenyour hair can be combed ('combable')

dat is begrijpelijkthat is understandable

dat iste begrijpenthat can be understood

Apart from thelink verbs, which you normally use in combination with an adjective, we often use thestrong verb vallen (to fall), which gets the same meaning aszijn.

Valt dat nogte repareren?Is that fixable?

Gerund (verb-noun)Sometimes you come across a verb that is actually not a verb: it is a noun, before which you can place an article (the, a). In Dutch, we use the infinitive when we use a verb as a noun:Het hebbenvan een huisdier is goed voor je gezondheid.(The) owning of a pet is good for your health.

Sometimes, we can omit the article, though of course this does not change the status of the verb (being a noun):Op vakantie gaanis leuk.Going on vacation is nice.

Don't be misled by this noun! If you consider it a verb, you will have a hard time analyzing the sentence.

Summarizing the 'other' conjugationsAan het' continuousFormula: zijn + aan het + infinitiveE.g.hij isaan hetstuderen(he is studying)'Te' continuousFormula: liggen/zitten/staan/lopen + te + infinitiveE.g.hij zit te werken(he is working)ImperativeFormula:Informal: 1st person singular (stem):e.g.wees stil!(be quiet)Formal: 2nd person singular + u:e.g.weest u stil!(be quiet)"Let's": laten we + infinitive:e.g.laten we weggaan(let's leave)Passive voiceFormula: zijn/worden/raken + past participleE.g.het is gedaan(it is done)Verb as a nounFormula: infinitiveE.g.het opgaan van de zon(the rising of the sun)Verbable (adjective)Formula: te + infinitiveE.g.het is te doen(it can be done)Gerund (adjective)Formula: infinitive + -dE.g.een werkende man(a working man)