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Dutch Verbs Combined and 'Te'

'hebben

zijn

'worden' 2

Ik begin te twijfelen ... 2 3 I'm beginning to doubt ... Ik ben gaan twijfelen ... 2 I've come to doubt ...

English puts 'to' in front of most infinitives, but its Dutch equivalent 'te' is unusual. It's only used for infinitives in sentences with a working verb from a certain group of verbs. The verbs that don't use 'te' also don't use a past participle but an infinitive in the perfect tenses when combined with other verbs. There is also another complication with the use of 'te' in the perfect tenses.

Overview

• In the perfect tenses, Dutch has the 'auxiliary verbs' 'hebben' or 'zijn' and a past participle ... or an infinitive, and in the passive voice, Dutch has the auxiliary verb 'worden' 2 with a past participle.
• When working verbs that are not 'hebben,' 'zijn' or 'worden' are combined with other verbs, those other verbs will be infinitives.
• A 'special group' (list) of very common verbs as working verbs do not put 'te' in front of the infinitives they're combined with, but most verbs as working verbs will add 'te'   to the infinitives they're combined with.
• In the perfect tenses, the verbs from the 'special group' will not be past participles but infinitives when combined with other verbs.
• Some verbs outside the 'special group' use the infinitive in the perfect tenses when combined with other verbs, and then usually leave out the 'te' in front of the infinitives they're combined with, but it isn't wrong to put it in.

Examples

Ik hoorde de vogels 2 3 I heard the birds - one verb:   'hoorde'

Ik heb de vogels gehoord 2 3 I've heard the birds - perfect tense
- working verb = auxiliary verb:   'heb'
- past participle:   'gehoord'

Ik hoorde de vogels fluiten 2 3 I heard the birds [whistle] sing - 'special group' working verb:   'hoorde'
- with verb infinitive:   'fluiten'
- no 'te'

Ik probeerde te fluiten 2 3 I tried to whistle - working verb not 'special group'  'probeerde'
- verb infinitive   'fluiten'
- with   'te'

Ik kon de vogels horen 2 3 I [could hear] was able to hear the birds - 'special group' working verb   'kon'
- with verb infinitive   'horen'
- no   'te'

Ik hoop de vogels te horen 2 3 I hope to hear the birds - working verb not 'special group  'hoop'
- verb infinitive 'horen'
- with 'te'

(In the perfect tenses, 'hebben' or 'zijn' are 'auxiliary verbs;' we'll call the verb that's put in the perfect tense the 'main verb' and we'll call other verbs 'secondary verbs.')

Ik had gehoopt de vogels te horen 2 I had hoped to hear the birds - perfect tense
- 'regular' main verb past participle   'gehoopt'
- secondary verb infinitive   'horen'
- with   'te'

Ik heb de vogels horen fluiten 2 3 I've heard the birds sing - perfect tense
- 'special group' main verb  'horen'
- with secondary verb infinitive   'fluiten'
- and no 'te'

We zitten te luisteren 2 3 We are listening - simple tense
- with 'te'
We hebben zitten luisteren 2 3
(We hebben zitten te luisteren 2 3 4) We were listening - perfect tense
- but 'te'-group main verb as infinitive   'zitten'
- 'te' optional

This page will help you understand the use of infinitives in Dutch verb combinations and when to use 'te.'

As a native speaker I have no difficulty where to use an infiitive in the perfect tense or when to use 'te.' It all comes 'naturally' to me, it's all 'automatic.' I never paid much attention to it, but now that I looked at it more closely in preparing this page I see that it must be difficult for foreign students.

Contents

The Perfect Tenses and The Past Participle

'hebben

zijn

(het) werkwoord ['working word'] is the Dutch word for 'verb' - not necessarily the 'working verb'

(het) hulpwerkwoord	['helping verb'] - auxiliary verb
(de) voltooide tijd 2 3	perfect tense
(het) voltooid deelwoord	past participle

ik heb gehad	I have had
ik had gehad 2	I had had
ik ben geweest	I have been
ik was geweest 2	I had been
ik heb gegeven	I have given
ik ben gegaan	I have gone

Ik heb jullie veel woorden gegeven 2 I've given you guys many words

We hebben een goed jaar gehad We've had a good year

Heb je genoeg gegeten? Have you eaten enough?

Waar ben je geweest? 2 3 Where have you been?

Wat heb je ervan geleerd? 2 3 What have you learned from it? What has it taught you?

Er is iets heel ergs gebeurd 2 3 4 Something very bad, something horrible has happened

more hebben 'to have'
more zijn 'to have' for the perfect tense / 'to be'
The Perfect Tenses, The Past Participle

The Passive Voice

'worden' 2

Het huis wordt geverfd The house is being painted

Ik werd afgeleid 2 I was distracted

De bal wordt in het doel geschoten 2 3 4 The ball is [shot] kicked into the goal (varying stress)

Hij werd gemarteld 2 He was tortured Hij is gemarteld geworden 2 He has been tortured ->>

Aanstoot wordt genomen, niet gegeven 2 3 Offense is taken, not given

Er wordt al zoveel gezegd 2 So much is being said already

Dat werd verwacht 2 That was expected

more worden - 'to be' (for the passive form)
- The Passive Voice

The past participle is (next to its use as an adjective) only found in the perfect tenses and the passive voice. Otherwise, the working verb is combined with infinitives. Take 'zullen' of the future tense as an example:

The Future Tense

'zullen'

Morgen zal 't wel beter zijn 2 3 Tomorrow (it) will be better

Ik zal opschieten I'll hurry

Hoe zal 't aflopen? How will it end? Compare with:
Hoe is 't afgelopen? [How has it ended?] - How did it end?

Stel je voor dat er geen auto's zouden zijn Imagine that there [would be] were no cars

Wat zou er gebeuren? 2
What would happen?

Ik zou niet gaan 2 3 4 I wouldn't go

't Zou kunnen 2 It could be

more zullen - The Future Tense

Verb Combinations, Infinitives and Te

't Hoeft niet grappig te zijn 2 3 4 It doesn't have to be funny 't Moet wel interessant zijn 2 But it has to be interesting

Er kan niet genoeg geld zijn There cannot be enough money (it's impossible that there is enough money) Er blijkt genoeg geld te zijn 2 3 [There turns out to be ...] It turns out that there is enough money

Some verbs as working verbs in combination with other verbs always put 'te' in front of the secondary verbs infinitives, and other verbs don't put a 'te' in front of secondary verbs.
Past participles are only used in the perfect tenses (except for the 'special group' verbs when combined with other verbs) and in the passive voice; the secondary verbs in all other verb combinations are infinitives.

The 'Special Verbs'

Very common verbs that as working verbs don't put 'te' in front of secondary verbs: zullen 'shall/will' (for the future tense) - examples below kunnen 'can, being able to' - examples below willen 2 'to want to, desire' - examples below mogen 2 'may, be allowed to' - examples below moeten 2 'must, have to' - examples below laten 'to let, allow' - examples below gaan 'to go, going to' - examples below doen 2 3 'to do, make' - examples below blijven 2 'to remain, stay, continue' - examples below komen 'to come' - examples below helpen 2 'to help, assist' - examples below leren 'to learn' and 'to teach' * - examples below
zien 'to see'
horen 2 'to hear'
voelen 2 'to feel' - examples below

Note the use of the infinitive ('next to' the working verbs) in the sentence examples

zullen 'shall/will' (future tense)
We zullen wel zien 2 We'll see Eerlijk zullen we alles delen 2 We'll share everything fairly Wie zal dat betalen? 2 Who'll pay for that? Je zult er geen spijt van krijgen 2 You won't be sorry (about it) - more zullen

kunnen 'can, being able to'
Je kon heel ver zien You could see very far, visibility was excellent Ik kan 't niet vinden 2 3 I can't find it Ik kan me niet beheersen 2 I can't control myself (I'm doing stupid things) Dat kun je niet veranderen 2 You can't change that We kunnen niet zo doorgaan 2 3 We can't go on like this Je kunt nooit helemaal zeker zijn 2 3 4 You can never be entirely certain, completely sure Ik kon de vogels horen 2 3 I [could] was able to hear the birds - more kunnen

willen 2 'to want to, desire'
Ik wil Nederlands leren 2 3 I want to learn Dutch Willen jullie meezingen? Would you guys like to sing along? Kom je binnen of wil je buiten blijven? Are you coming in or would you like to stay outside? (I'm closing the door) Ze wil je dringend spreken 2 She wants to talk to you urgently Ze willen 't niet horen 2 3 4 They don't want to hear it, they don't want to listen to it - more willen

mogen 2 'may, be allowed to'
ik mag geen varkensvlees eten I'm not allowed to, I can't eat pork Als het licht groen is mag je doorrijden 2 When the light is green you may drive [through] on ‑>> Wanneer mag je liegen? 2 3 4 [When may you lie?] - When [are you] is it allowed to lie, tell untruths? Jullie mogen wel Nederlands praten 2 [You may ...] It's alright to speak Dutch Ze mogen wel oppassen [They sure may pay attention] - They'd better be careful - more mogen

moeten 2 'must, have to'
Vis moet zwemmen 2 3 4 Fish [must] got to swim Als 't licht rood is moet je stoppen 2 3 4 When the light is red you have to stop Waarom moet 't zo moeilijk zijn? 2 Why does it have to be so difficult? t Enige dat we moeten veranderen 2 The only thing we have to, need to change We moesten hard werken We had to work hard Ze moet je dringend spreken 2 She urgently wants to talk to you Ik vind het heel erg als ik eten weg moet gooien 2 3 4 I feel bad, I hate it when I have to throw out food Dan moet ik iets anders bedenken 2 3 Then I'll have to think [up] of something else (we need a new plan) Je moet er af en toe in roeren 2 3 4 You need to stir [in] it occasionally, from time to time Je moet er af en toe naar kijken You need to look in on it occasionally, check it from time to time 't Moet afgelopen zijn! 2 3 It has to stop! It can't continue - more moeten

laten 'to let, allow'
Laat ik dat eerst even doen 2 Let me do that first de kraan laten lopen 2 to let the faucet [walk] run Laten we aan 't werk gaan 2 Let's start working Ik liet de brief aan Jan zien 2 3 I showed the letter to John
Actually, in both English and Dutch this can mean 'I showed a certain letter (from someone else) to Jan' and 'I showed the letter to Jan to someone' - more laten

gaan 'to go, going to'
Morgen ga ik witlof maken Tomorrow I'm going to prepare Belgian endives ‑>> Ga meteen je huiswerk maken! [Go do] Start on your homework right away Gaat 't morgen regenen? 2 Is it going to rain tomorrow? - more gaan

doen 2 3 'to do, make' - In combinations with other verbs, 'doen' is usually translated as 'to make'
Hoop doet leven [Hope makes living possible] Hope fuels life De druppel die de emmer deed overlopen 2 3 (saying) '[The drop that caused the bucket to spill over] The straw that broke the camel's back' 't Doet me denken aan een boek van Mulisch 2 It makes me think of a book by Mulisch - more doen

blijven 2 'to remain, stay, continue'
Alles blijft veranderen 2 Everything keeps changing 't Water blijft maar stijgen The water just keeps rising Ze blijft in Nederland wonen 2 3 [She'll continue living in The Netherlands] - She'll stay in Holland Ik blijf 't proberen 2 3 4 I keep trying [it] 't Blijft de hele week regenen 2 It [keeps] will keep raining all week - more blijven

komen 'to come'
Ze komen zondag bij ons eten 2 3 They're coming [to eat at our place] for dinner on Sunday Kom je thee drinken? 2 [Are you coming for drinking tea?] - Please come for a cup of tea Hij komt morgen de kachel maken He'll come by tomorrow to repair the heater, he'll fix the heater tomorrow - more komen

helpen 2 'to help, assist'
Ik help jullie begrijpen ... 2 3 I'm helping you guys understand ... Ze hielp hem ontsnappen 2 3 She helped him escape - more helpen

leren 'to learn' and 'to teach' *
Leer ons alzo onze dagen tellen 2 3 So teach us to number our days (Ps 90:12) Hij leerde fietsen in Nederland 2 3 He learned to ride a bike in Holland Ik leerde 'm kennen in 't leger 2 3 I [learned] came to know him in the army Also see the note on 'leren' in the perfect tense below
- a little more leren

zien - horen - voelen
The verbs of what the senses tell you,
zien 'to see'
horen 2 'to hear' and
voelen 2 'to feel'
can be combined with a verb infinitive without 'te'
- more: 'The Senses'

Ik zag je voorbijkomen 2 3 4 I saw you pass by Ik zag de zon in de zee zinken I saw the sun sink into the sea Ik zag 't niet meer zitten (saying) ['I didn't see it sit anymore,' I didn't see things in place anymore] - I was depressed Hij zag de bui al hangen 2 3 (saying) ['He had already seen the rainshower "hanging"'] - 'He understood trouble was brewing' - more zien

Ik hoorde de glazen rinkelen 2 3 I heard the (drinking) glasses tinkle Ik hoorde de vogels fluiten 2 3 I heard the birds [whistle] sing Ze keek alsof ze 't in Keulen hoorde donderen 2 3 4 5 (saying) She looked (the look on her face was) as if she heard [it] thunder rumbling in Cologne' - great surprise at hearing something completely unexpected - more horen

Ik voelde de aarde beven 2 3 I felt the earth [tremble] shake - more voelen

- the perfect tense of the special verbs below

The Other Verbs (in The Simple Tenses)

sentence examples:

zijn to be
't Is moeilijk te vinden 2 3 It's hard to find Is er wat te eten? 2 3 4 Is there something to eat? Dat was te verwachten 2 That was to be expected, that could have been expected Er is nog zoveel te doen! 2 3 There is still so much to do! - more zijn

hebben to have
Ik heb wel wat beters te doen 2 3 I sure have something better to do Hij heeft de smaak te pakken 2 (saying) [~He was captured by the taste] - he really likes it (a new activity) Wat heb je daarop te zeggen? 2 What do you have to say about that? (What is your comment?) - more hebben

proberen to try
Ik probeer Nederlands te leren I'm trying to learn Dutch Probeer wakker te blijven Try to stay awake Probeer 't eenvoudig te houden 2 Try to keep it simple Ik probeer stress te vermijden 2 3 I'm trying to avoid stress Hij probeert grappig te zijn 2 He's trying to be funny - more proberen

beginnen to begin, start
Ik begin 't te begrijpen 2 I'm beginning to understand Net voordat 't begon te regenen 2 3 Just before it [started to reain] rained 't Begint te waaien [It] A wind is starting to blow Ik begin te twijfelen ... 2 3 I'm beginning to doubt ... - more beginnen

hoeven is almost always in the negative with niet 2 ('not, do not') or geen ('no, zero quantity') and then means 'don't need, no need, not necessary, don't want, don't have to'
We hoeven niet te blijven 2 3 We don't have to stay (we can leave) Je hoeft niet weg te gaan 2 3 You don't have to [go away] leave (you can stay, for example for dinner) Hij hoefde zich niet te bewijzen He didn't have to prove himself - Hoeven is irregular in the perfect tense
- more hoeven

durven 2 'to dare,' have the courage to, not being afraid to
Durf te kiezen 2 3 Dare to choose (commit, don't stay on the sidelines) Hij durfde niks te zeggen 2 3 [He dared to say nothing] - He didn't dare to say anything, he was afraid to speak up Hij durft z'n mening te geven 2 3 [he dares to [give] state his opinion] - He's not afraid to speak up See also: taking risks

krijgen to receive, to 'get,' to be given (the meaning can be very different)
We krijgen iemand te eten 2 We'll [get] have [someone] a visitor for [eating] dinner We kregen brood te eten 2 We were given bread to eat - more krijgen

denken 2 to think
Hij dacht 't te weten 2 he thought he knew [it] Hij dacht 't te kunnen 2 3 he thought he could [do it] - He thought he would be able to Ik dacht te weten 2 I thought [to know] I knew Ik denk erover op te houden 2 3 I'm thinking of stopping - more denken

weten usually means 'to know,' but here it means 'being able to'
Hij wist te ontsnappen 2 3 He was able to escape Hij wist 't te vinden 2 3 He was able to find it Hij wist zich te beheersen 2 3 4 He was able to control himself, he kept his temper (he didn't become emotional, he did not react in anger) - more weten

vergeten 2 3 'to forget' ('vergeten' is both the infinitive and the past participle)
Ik vergat te tanken I [forgot] had forgotten to tank (buy gas, fill the tank) Vergeet niet de hond uit te laten 2 Don't forget to walk the dog Vergeet niet je telefoon op te laden 2 Don't forget to recharge your telephone We waren vergeten de verwarming laag te zetten 2 We had forgotten to turn the heater down - more vergeten

lijken to look like, seem, appear
Er lijkt weinig geld te zijn 2 It looks like there's little money De minuutwijzer lijkt wel helemaal stil te staan 2 3 The minutes hand seems to stand still, have stopped completely - more lijken

blijken to turn out, prove, appear
Er blijkt toch genoeg geld te zijn 2 It turns out that there is enough money after all Ze bleken oplichters te zijn 2 [They turned out to be] It turned out they were swindlers Ik bleek longontsteking te hebben 2 3 [I turned out to have] It turned out that I had pneumonia - more blijken

schijnen to appear, seem, look like; also: to shine
Er schijnt iets gebeurd te zijn 2 3 4 It looks like something happened 't Schijnt niet waar te zijn 2 3 It appears not to be true - more schijnen

Again, the verbs in the examples above are not an exhaustive list of verbs with 'te' -- all verbs outside the 'special group' that as working verbs combine with other verb infinitives use 'te' in the simple tenses. Note that not all verbs can be combined.

The Dutch Continuous in The Simple Tenses

We zitten te eten [We're eating] - We're having [food] dinner (or lunch)

Ik lig te lezen I'm reading

Dat staat ons ook te wachten 2 That is waiting for us too, we can expect that too

Hij loopt te schelden He is swearing, cursing out

more - zitten - liggen - staan - lopen

Verb Combinations In The Perfect Tenses

• In the perfect tenses, the 'special verbs' (list) that do not put 'te' in front of secondary verbs will not be past participles but infinitives when combined with other verbs.
• A few common verbs outside the 'special group' use the infinitive in the perfect tenses when combined with other verbs, and then usually leave out the 'te' in front of the infinitives they're combined with (but it isn't wrong to put the 'te' in)
• When the perfect tense uses a past participle the 'te' is always put in front of infinitives the main verb is combined with.

There is not much difference in Dutch between the simple past tense and the present perfect tense - you can often save yourself the trouble of the complications by avoiding the present perfect tense and using the simple past tense.

examples: (some repeated from the introduction)

Ik hoorde de vogels fluiten 2 3 I heard the birds [whistle] sing Ik heb de vogels horen fluiten 2 3 I've heard the birds sing

We zitten te luisteren 2 3 We are listening We zaten te luisteren 2 3 We were listening We hebben zitten luisteren 2 3
(We hebben zitten te luisteren 2 3 4) We have been, we were listening

Ik hoop de vogels te horen 2 3 I hope to hear the birds Ik had gehoopt de vogels te horen 2 I had hoped to hear the birds

The 'Special Verbs' in The Perfect Tenses

Ik hoorde de vogels 2 3 I heard the birds

Ik hoorde de vogels fluiten 2 3 I heard the birds [whistle] sing

Ik heb de vogels gehoord 2 3 I've heard the birds

Ik heb de vogels horen fluiten 2 3 I've heard the birds sing

Ik kon de vogels horen 2 3 I could hear the birds

Ik heb de vogels kunnen horen 2 3 4 I [have been] was able to hear the birds

A Perfect tense for zullen ('shall/will') is very unusual.
ik had zullen ... 2 3 I was going to ... The only example I can think of: Ik had zullen wachten 2 3 4 5 I was going to wait, the plan was that I would wait (but it didn't happen) - not really a perfect tense, more a 'conditional'

Examples of the other 'Special Verbs' in combinations with other verbs:

ik heb kunnen ... I was able to ... Ik heb kunnen voorkomen ... 2 3 I was able to prevent ... (voorKOmen ‑>>) Ik had kunnen weten dat ... 2 I could have known that ... 't Had erger kunnen zijn 2 3 4 It could have been worse

Wat hebben we al niet willen opknappen! 2 We had big plans to fix things. - Nescio ik had willen ... 2 3 I had wanted to ..., I wanted to but was prevented to do so Ik had willen doorgaan 2 3 4 I [had] wanted to go on, continue

ik heb mogen ... 2 3 I was allowed to ... Ik heb even de eeuwigheid mogen aanschouwen 2 3 [I have been allowed for a moment to view eternity] - I was allowed a brief glimpse of eternity

Ik heb de eieren laten schrikken [I have scared the eggs] (Put just-boiled eggs in cold water for easier peeling) Ik heb laten komen ... 2 3 I have ordered delivery ...

ik ben gaan ... 2 3 "I have gone ..., I have come" De wind is gaan liggen The wind has ['gone to lay down'] died down Ik ben gaan wandelen I have gone for a stroll, I went hiking Ik ben gaan waarderen ... 2 3 I have [gone] come to appreciate ... Ik ben gaan twijfelen ... 2 I've come to doubt ...

ik ben blijven ... 2 I remained, stayed to ... Ik ben blijven kijken 2 3 I stayed to look (at it) - I kept watching

ik heb doen ... 2 3 4 I have made ... ik heb doen inzien ... 2 3 I have made see, I have created an understanding ... Ik heb de mensen doen inzien ... 2 3 I have made the people see, understand 't Heeft me doen inzien 2 3 it has made me understand, it gave me the insight 't Heeft me doen nadenken 2 3 It has made me think (about ...) Ik heb doen voorkomen ... 2 3 I have pretended, made it look like ... (VOORkomen ‑>>)

ik ben komen ... 2 I have come (to, by) ... Ik ben komen fietsen 2 3 [I've come biking] - I've come by bike

ik heb helpen ... 2 3 I have helped (to) ... Ik heb helpen organiseren ... 2 3 I have helped organize, set up ... Ik heb helpen betalen 2 3 I have helped pay

Ik heb moeten constateren dat ... [I've had to observe, I've had to find out that ...] - I have unfortunately found out that ... (and I'm not happy about it) Daar had je aan moeten denken 2 (3 4) You should have thought of that Dat had ik niet moeten doen 2 3 I shouldn't have done that Ik heb moeten leren improviseren 2 I've had to learn to improvise, improvisation

'Leren' is a special case - see note below

Ik heb water zien branden 2 I've seen water burn (I've seen something that's impossible) Ik heb al wat huizen zien vallen! I have already seen many [houses fall] (trading) companies fail! - Multatuli

Ik heb 'm nooit horen lachen 2 3 4 I've never heard him laugh Ik heb je horen vloeken 2 I [have] heard you cursing

Ik heb de aarde voelen beven 2 3 4 5 I have felt the earth tremble

The Dutch Continuous in The Perfect Tenses

te

Hij heeft de hele week lopen klagen. 2 He's been complaining all week. (Hij heeft de hele dag lopen te klagen. He's been complaining all day.)

(as already seen above)
We zitten te luisteren 2 3 We are listening We zaten te luisteren 2 3 We were listening We hebben zitten luisteren 2 3
(We hebben zitten te luisteren 2 3 4) We have been, we were listening

We hadden zitten kaarten 2 3
We hadden zitten te kaarten 2 We had been playing cards

Hij heeft de hele middag zitten typen. 2
(Hij heeft de hele middag zitten te typen. 2 He has been typing all afternoon.)

Irregular Verbs: 'hoeven' and 'leren'

Je hoeft 't niet te doen 2 You don't have to do it Ik hoefde niet te wachten 2 I didn't have to wait Ik heb niet hoeven wachten 2
Ik heb niet hoeven te wachten 2 I didn't have to wait

Ik heb niet hoeven te betalen 2 I didn't have to pay

'Leren' can be both 'to learn' and 'to teach'

Ik heb veel geleerd 2 3 I have learned [much] many things Ik heb jullie veel geleerd 2 I have taught you guys [much] many things

When in the perfect tense combined with other verbs, leren can either be an infinitive or a past participle. The past participle 'looks more serious,' refers to matters 'of the mind' or things learned from unpleasant experiences.
'Heb leren' does not put 'te' in front of accompanying infinitives, but 'heb geleerd' does.

ik heb leren ... 2 3 I have learned, I've been taught ... Ik heb leren zwemmen 2 3 I've learned to swim It's not good Dutch to say:
'Ik heb geleerd te zwemmen'
but you can say:
Ik heb geleerd tegen de stroom in te zwemmen 2 3 I've learned [to swim against the current] - to go my own way, rebel, not follow current trends, fashion or popular thinking, go against the majority

Ik heb 'm leren kennen in 't leger 2 3 I've come to know him in the army

Ik heb geleerd te zwijgen 2 3 I've learned to keep silent, keep my mouth shut You can as well say:
Ik heb leren zwijgen 2 3

Ik heb leren luisteren 2
Ik heb geleerd te luisteren 2 I've learned to listen

More 'leren' in the Word Order section below

The Other Verbs in The Perfect Tense

Ik hoop de vogels te horen 2 3 I hope to hear the birds Ik had gehoopt de vogels te horen 2 I had hoped to hear the birds

Ik probeerde te fluiten 2 3 I tried to whistle Ik heb geprobeerd te fluiten 2 3 I have tried to whistle

Ik heb geprobeerd te helpen 2 I have tried to help

Ik heb geprobeerd te zwijgen I have tried to stay silent, not to speak up

A Complication

opletten 2

opletten		to pay attention
ik let op		I'm paying attention
ik lette op		I paid attention
ik heb opgelet		I have paid attention
2		- more

Hij zit niet goed op te letten 2 3 He is not paying close attention Je moet goed opletten 2 3 You have to pay close attention

Hij probeerde de kist op te tillen 2 3 He tried to lift the wooden box Hij kan vijftig kilo optillen 2 3 He can lift 50 kilos

'Vergeten' above has two more examples of splitting verbs

Multiple Verbs

Hij lijkt te winnen 2 3 [He looks like ...] It looks like he's winning Hij lijkt te gaan winnen 2 3 [He looks like ...] It looks like he's going to win You can also say:
Het lijkt erop dat hij gaat winnen 2 It looks like he's going to win

Ik heb leren improviseren 2 3 I've learned to improvise Ik heb moeten leren improviseren 2 I've had to learn to improvise

Ik heb moeten leren lezen I've had to learn to read

Ze wilde gaan zwemmen 2 3 She (had) wanted to go swimming

(Ik heb een paar jaar pianoles gehad I've had piano lessons for a [couple of] few years) Maar ik had beter gitaar kunnen leren spelen But learning to play the guitar would have [been better] made more sense

Ik had gitaar kunnen leren spelen 2 I could have learned to play the guitar (instead of ...) Ik had kunnen leren programmeren 2 I could have learned programming (instead of ...)

Ik had geschiedenis moeten gaan studeren I should have studied history in college (or university) - I should have chosen history as a student

Ik wil niks verloren laten gaan 2 [I want nothing go to get lost] I don't want anything to get wasted, I don't want to waste anything

Ik had willen blijven liggen 2 I [had wanted] would have liked to stay in bed Je kunt nog even blijven liggen 2 You may stay in bed a little longer Kon ik nog maar even blijven liggen! 2 3 If only I could [remain lying down] stay in bed a little longer Wil je liever bljven liggen? 2 Would you rather sleep a little longer, not get up yet? Als ik ergens vanaf zou willen zijn zijn het die migraines 2 3 4 If there is [something] one thing I'd like to be rid of it's those migraines
- it's a bit formal. More colloquial is: Als ik ergens vanaf zou willen zijn het die migraines 2 3 If there is [something] one thing I'd like to be rid of it's those migraines

'Independent' Use of the 'Special Verbs'

zullen

hoeven

kunnen

moeten 2

ik heb gekund

ik heb gemoeten 2

Ik heb 't nooit gewild 2 I never wanted it (to happen)

Ik heb 'm (hem) nooit gemogen 2 3 I never really liked him

Ik heb 't maar zo gelaten 2 I just left it like that (I was done with it)

Hij is even naar buiten gegaan He [went] has stepped out for a moment

Ik heb de was gedaan 2 I've done the laundry Al de domme dingen die ik gedaan heb 2 3 All the stupid things I've done

't Is allemaal hetzelfde gebleven 2 It all has stayed the same (nothing has changed)

Er is iets tussen gekomen 2 3 Something came [in between] up (what was planned can't go on)

Heb je haar gezicht gezien? 2 Have you seen her face?

Heb je 't nieuws al gehoord? 2 3 Have you (already) heard the news?

Ik had me nog nooit zo ziek gevoeld 2 3 I had never felt that sick (before)

Most of the verbs in the 'non-te' group can also be used 'independently,' without a second verb - often with a slightly different meaning. The verbs in this group always have a past participle in the perfect tenses, also when combined with secondary verbs. So the verbs of the 'te'-group have regular perfect tenses - but note the exceptions 'hoeven' and the verbs of the 'Dutch Continuous' zitten, liggen, staan and lopen

Verbs in Sub-sentences

en 2

maar

We zouden gaan fietsen maar 't begon te regenen We were going to make a bike ride but it started to rain

Ik had schrijver willen worden, maar ik ben spreker geworden I wanted to be a writer but I've become a speaker

Ik had kunnen weten dat 't slecht zou aflopen 2 3 I could have known that it would end badly

Zelfs als hij geweten had dat het zou gaan regenen ... 2 Even if he had known it was going to rain ...

Ik moet toch weten wat er gebeurt in de wereld 2 3 I really need to know what's going on in the world

Ik zou willen dat ik harder kon schoppen 2 I really wish I could kick (a ball) harder

Word Order

Preferred word order in perfect tense or 'Special Verb' with infinitive from the 'adding te' group when combined with other verbs:

Ik heb de vogels gehoord 2 3 I've heard the birds

Ik had gehoopt de vogels te horen 2 I had hoped to hear the birds

Ik heb de vogels kunnen horen 2 3 4 I [have been] was able to hear the birds

Ik heb de vogels horen fluiten 2 3 I've heard the birds [whistle] sing

Ik ben vergeten de huur te betalen 2 3 I [have forgotten] forgot to pay the rent

Ik heb de reis moeten afzeggen 2 3 I've had to cancel te trip

Ik heb gisteren nog kaartjes kunnen krijgen 2 3 I was still able to get tickets yesterday

Ik heb geprobeerd Nederlands te leren 2 3 I have tried to learn Dutch

Ik heb geprobeerd de vogels te horen 2 3 I have tried to hear the birds

Ik heb gisteren in Amsterdam geprobeerd een visum te krijgen 2 3 Yesterday I've tried to get a visa in Amsterdam

Ik ga morgen in Amsterdam proberen een visum te krijgen 2 3 Tomorrow I'll try to get a visa in Amsterdam

Ik heb op een oud schip geleerd haring te kaken 2 3 I have learned to gut herring on an old ship
herring - 'haring kaken'

Ik wil op een oud schip haring leren kaken 2 3 I want to learn to gut herring on an old ship

- not really 'wrong,' but not the preferred way:
Ik wil op een oud schip leren haring te kaken I want to learn to gut herring on an old ship Placing the object before the past participle in lines like this is really wrong:
'Ik heb op een oud schip haring geleerd te kaken'
is not good Dutch

Ik heb in Deventer koek leren bakken 2 3 I've learned to bake 'cake' in Deventer

Ik wil in Deventer koek leren bakken 2 I want to learn to bake 'cake' in Deventer

Ik heb in Deventer geleerd koek te bakken 2 3 I have learned to bake 'cake' in Deventer
(de) koek 2 - 'cake'

'Time' is always before 'place' but there is some freedom in word order - see examples

Ik heb geleerd tegen de stroom in te zwemmen 2 3
Ik heb tegen de stroom in leren zwemmen 2 3 4 I've learned [to swim against the current] - to go my own way, rebel, not follow current trends, fashion or popular thinking, go against the majority

So far unexplained:
Automatisch, zonder erover na te denken 2 3 4 automatically, without thinking [it over]

Other Meanings of 'Te'

Het was te veel It was too much

Het is te duur It's too expensive

Heb je te veel gegeten? 2 Have you eaten too much? Did you eat too much?

Niet te laat opstaan! Don't get up too late!

Het is nog te vroeg 2 3 It's still too early

te veel van 't goede 2 too much of [the] a good thing

Beter te veel dan te weinig 2 3 Better too much than too little

Te veel mensen met te veel geld 2 Too many people with too much money ->>
Ik word te dik 2 3 I'm getting [too] fat

om te can be translated as 'to' or 'for' - giving the reason, purpose or goal

goed om te weten 2 3 good to know

Ik moest rennen om de bus te halen 2 3 I had to run to catch the bus

't Is niet om te lachen 2 3 4 It's not for laughing, it's nothing to laugh about, it's no laughing matter

Nederlands is een mooie taal ... Dutch is a beautiful language ... ... maar misschien niet om te zingen ... but maybe not for singing

Hij was te klein om over de schutting te kijken 2 He was too [small] short to look over the fence

Te dom om voor de duivel te dansen 2 Too stupid to dance for the devil (a not-too-bright person)

Te mooi om waar te zijn 2 3 Too [beautiful] good to be true

De rivier was te breed om over te zwemmen 2 3 The river was too wide to swim across

In bureaucratic usage, 'te'   can indicate the place where a person lives:

... huisarts te 's-Gravenhage 2 3 ... family doctor in The Hague

'Ter' and 'ten' ‑>>

There are other uses of 'te' in Dutch that I cannot fully explain yet.

English 'Modal Verbs'

hij zal 2 3

hij kan 2 3

hij mag 2 3

hij wil 2 3

willen 2 ‑>>

We can dance
We were dancing
I hope to dance
I saw you dancing

Ik ben gaan vissen 2 3 (I have) gone fishing!

More Verbs

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Gij zult niet stelen 'Thou shalt not steal'