| In the simple present tense, Dutch verbs have three forms: 
  the verb stem for the first person singular
  (I - ik)the verb stem 
  + t   for the second and third person singular
  (you / he/she/it - jij/U / hij/zij/het)
the verb stem 
  + en (= the infinitive) 
  for the plural(we/you/they - wij/jullie/zij)
 
 | 
    | For instance,   drinken  'to drink' |  | drinken |  | to drink |  | ik drink |  | I  drink |  | jij drinkt |  | you drink (singular, informal you) |  | hij drinkt |  | he drinks |  | wij drinken |  | we drink |  | jullie drinken |  | you  drink (plural, informal you) |  | zij drinken |  | they drink |  | U drinkt |  | you  drink (polite you) |  |  |  | 
 | ![[Marco drinking tea]](artwork4/MarcoDrinkt150_3.jpg) ik drink
  2 I am drinking
 | 
 When the verb is placed before the subject, like in questions,
there is no T added for 
the second person singular, for instance:
Drink je alcohol?
  2
 3 
  Do you drink alcohol? 
  
   
   
| ![[I'm laughing]](artwork3/iklach200.jpg) ik lach
   I'm laughing
 |  | ik  ('I') |  
    | jij  /  je  ('you' - singular informal) |  
    | hij  ('he') -
 zij  /   ze  ('she') -
 het
  / 't  ('it') |  | wij  /  we  ('we') |  | jullie  ('you, you guys, y'all' - plural informal) |  
    | zij  /  ze  ('they') |  | U  ('you' - formal, polite) |  | - short 
  personal pronouns |  
 
 | Verb stems ending in T do not add extra T's |  | wachten |  | to wait |  | ik wacht |  | I'm waiting |  | jij wacht |  | you're waiting (singular, informal you) |  | hij wacht |  | he's waiting |  | wij wachten |  | we're waiting |  | jullie wachten |  | y'all are waiting (plural, informal you) |  | zij wachten |  | they are i waitng |  | U wacht |  | you are waiting (polite you) |  |  2 |  |