In the simple present tense, the fist person singular ('I') form is
the verb
'stem.' ‑>>
The second and third person singular ('you' and
'he/she/it') verb forms for almost all verbs add T's.
Dutch has different forms of the verb for the singular and the plural
- the plural for the simple present is identical to the infinitive.
Gaan, gaat and ga all have a
'long A'
. As you'd expect, double A is 'long,' but why is
the A in ga long? Dutch spelling & pronunciation rules
say that a single vowel as the last letter of a syllable is 'long,'
while a single vowel followed by a consonant at the end of a syllable
is 'short'
(hear 'short A:'
)
A syllable ending in a vowel is called 'open' while a syllable
ending in a consonant is called 'closed.'
(de) la drawer
laat late, not in/on time lat slat, small wooden board late (la-te) late, not in/on time more: The Beauty and Logic of Dutch Spelling
For the perfect tenses, most Dutch verbs use the auxiliary verb
hebben('to have')
‑>> but a small group of
common verbs, mostly verbs of motion, have
zijn‑>>
(otherwise translated as 'to be') as auxiliary
verb.
‑>>
When the verb comes before the personal pronoun, like in
question mode, the verb form for the second person singular is the
verb stem, does not get a T-ending:
ga ik?
am I going?
ga jij?
are you going?
gaat hij?
is he going?
gaan wij?
are we going?
gaan jullie?
are y'all going?
gaan zij?
are they going?
gaat U?
are you going?
In the simple past tense there is just one verb form for the
singular and one for the plural:
In the present tense, komen
has a 'short O'
in the singular, but
a 'long O'
in the plural - that's common with A in the past tense of
strong verbs, but a vowel change in the present tense is very
unusual.
I can't think
of another verb that does that.
Like almost all strong verbs
with an A in the past tense,
that A is a 'short A'
in the singular, but
a 'long A'
in the plural
Aankomen2
1. 'to arrive' 2. 'to gain weight'
3. 'to touch'
is a
strong verb:
Wachten is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
Krijgen
is 'to get' - to receive, acquire, to be given - often without
any or little effort, like presents, or 'by itself,' it just happens.
See also
Halen2below 'Krijgen' is a
strong verb:
For almost all strong verbs
with an A in the past tense
that A is a 'short A'
in the singular, but
a 'long A'
in the plural
Halen2
'to get, collect, obtain, acquire' (think of 'to haul')
with some effort, some action required.
'Krijgen'
can also be translated as 'to get,' but it is usually with less
effort, like presents, 'to be given' see also
Krijgenabove and
the 'Krijgen' page
Halen2
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Laten
is often combined with other verbs, in the meaning of to 'let,' allow, or
'make' etc. The other verb will be in the infinitive form
and without 'te'
- more Laten can also appear 'by itself,' without other
verbs, and can then also mean 'to let,' allow, or sometimes it's
translated as 'to leave, leaving.'
Laten is a strong verb:
Maken
'to make'
is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
Zetten
The Dutch verb zetten
is like English 'to put' - its main meaning is
to place or position something (or sometimes a person) somewhere.
Zetten easily combines with various prepositions keeping
most of its original meaning.
Zetten
'to put' (etc.) is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
sturen
'to send'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more 'Sturen'
can also mean 'to steer,' control direction, movement
(het) stuur 23steering wheel // handlebars
(het) stuurwiel
steering wheel (ship)
besturen
to steer, drive // to operate, control // to
control, govern, rule, run
(de) bestuurder
driver, operator // administrator, governor,
ruler
(de) stuurman
23ship officer
stuurlui
23
/ stuurlieden
2ship officers
De beste stuurlui staan aan wal
'The best ship officers are on the shore'
It's easy to criticize from a distance, when you're not involved
[het] stuurboord
234starboard - 'right' [(het)] bakboord
234port - 'left' overstuur
23upset, shaken up
Hij was helemaal overstuur
23He was completely shaken up, disturbed, not
his usual self
Lijken
to look like,' meaning 'appear to be in a certain way,'
'giving an impression of' or 'noting a similarity, a resemblance'
- often as lijken op23 Lijken is a strong verb:
Blijken
does not have a clear equivalent in English. It means something like
being found different from a first impression. I usually translate
it as 'to turn out.' Maybe you could also use 'come to light.'
Blijken
is a
strong verb: blijken / bleek / gebleken
't Is gebleken
2It has turned out ...
It has come to light ...
Zijn
('to be') is a very common Dutch verb, and like most often-used verbs
it is rather irregular.
Zijn is the auxilary verb for the perfect tenses of a
minority of Dutch verbs.
Zijn is a
strong verb:
'Zeggen' has an unusual change from a vowel to a diphthong in
the past tense and an also unusual added D in the plural of the past
tense. It's somewhat like the English.
For almost all strong verbs
with an A in the past tense
that A is a 'short A'
in the singular, but
a 'long A'
in the plural
Praten
'to talk, to chat'
is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
Note that the plurals of the simple present and the simple past tense
are written differently but pronounced the same:
wij praten2 'we are talking'
wij praatten2
'we were talking'
Vertellen2
'to tell'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Horen2
'to hear'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Luisteren
'to listen'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Weten
- to know things, to have knowledge of -
Weten is a
strong verb, meaning it has a vowel change for
the past tense - and weten also has a
consonant change in the past tense
Kennen means 'to know' in the sense of
means 'to know people' and 'to be familiar with, know of things'
'Kennen' is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Leren2
'to learn' // 'to teach'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Leren2
can mean 'to teach' or 'to learn.' Which one is ususally clear
from the context. The 'to teach' meaning is often combined with a
personal pronoun or a name:
Leer de regels
Learn the rules
Leer me de regels
Teach me the rules
Ik heb veel geleerd
23I have learned [much] many things, a lot
Ik heb jullie veel geleerd
2I have taught you guys many things
Leiden
'to lead'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
It's a bit like English that doesn't say 'he mays'
Moeten2
(to Have to, 'be obliged to,' 'Ought to,' 'Should,' 'Must')
is a very unusual strong verb: it's not the
vowel/diphthong that changes for the past
tense, but a consonant is added (I can't think of any other Dutch
strong verb that only has a consonant change)
Jij zal2
('you will') and U zal are also said
Note that there is no T in jij zal and hij zal
Willen2
'to want, wish, desire, would like to'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
'Jij kan'2
and 'U kan' are also correct.
Note that the present tense has no T-ending for third person singular
and in the 'alternate' for the second person singular - like English
also doesn't say 'he cans.'
Vinden2
'to find'
can mean 'to find,' locate something, often an item that was lost or
that you're looking for, but it can also mean 'to think,' stating an
opinion
Vinden is a strong verb:
Begrijpen 'to understand'
English 'To understand' has a double meaning. It can mean
'to know the how or why of something' - in Dutch that is
begrijpenBegrijpen is a strong verb:
Verstaan2
'to understand'
English 'to understand' can also
mean 'to hear what is said.' In Dutch, that is
'verstaan'2.
It is also used in the meaning
'to understand a foreign language.'
'Verstaan' is a strong verb:
(It's the English that's more problematic here)
For almost all strong verbs
with an A in the past tense
that A is a 'short A'
in the singular, but
a 'long A'
in the plural
Hopen2
'to hope'
is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
Lachen2 'to laugh'
is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
Verwachten2
'to expect'
is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
Huilen
'to cry, shed tears'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Schreeuwen
'screaming, shouting, making loud noise'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more Note that CH in SCHR is not pronounced
Hurento rent, lease, hire is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Betalen
'to pay'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Lenen2
'to borrow // to lend'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Verdelen23to divide // to distribute is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Wandelen
to stroll, hike, walk
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
(The verb stem wandel ends in
'voiceless E' followed by a consonant. 'Voiceless E' will remain
voiceless E, a single vowel, and the consonant is not doubled.)
For heb/bensee
Fietsen2 'to ride a
bicycle' is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
Vluchten
'to flee, escape'
is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
Wonen2
'to live, reside'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
For almost all strong verbs
with an A in the past tense
that A is a 'short A'
in the singular, but
a 'long A'
in the plural
Leggen
'to lay'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Duwen
'to push'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Optillen
'to lift, to lift up'
- a splitting verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Gooien
'to throw'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
gooien
to throw
ik gooi
I'm throwing
wij gooien
we're throwing
ik gooide
I threw
wij gooiden
we threw
ik heb gegooid
I have thrown
Grijpen
'to grab, to catch, to get hold of' is a
strong verb:
Schudden
'to shake'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Schoppen
'to kick'
is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
Knippen
'to cut (with scissors)'
is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
Plakken
'to paste, glue'
is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
plakken
to paste, glue
ik plak
I paste
wij plakken
we paste
ik plakte
I pasted
wij plakten
we pasted
ik heb geplakt
I have pasted
Wassen2
'to wash, to launder'
is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is (usually) -T -
more
Bedekken2
'to cover'
is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
bedekken
to cover
ik bedek
I cover
wij bedekken
we cover
ik bedekte
I covered
wij bedekten
we cover
ik heb bedekt
I have covered
Werken
'to work'
is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
Spelen
'to play'
is a weak verb of the
non-'t kofschip
class: verb stems not ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-DE and
-DEN and its past participle ending
is -D -
more
Rusten2 'to rest'
is a weak verb of the
't kofschip
class: verb stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have simple
past endings
-TE and
-TEN and its past participle ending
is -T -
more
![[Marco at Microphone]](artwork6/MarcoMicrofoonH150RT.jpg)
'to go' is a
strong verb: