Dutch Verbs: The Perfect Tenses

Dutch Verbs: The Perfect Tenses - Smartphones Page

Like in English, the perfect tenses use the auxiliary verb 'hebben

('to have') ->> with the past participle of the main verb - though a minority of Dutch verbs (list below) use zijn

('to be') ->>. It's mostly verbs of motion and stong verbs that use zijn for the perfect tenses but there are no absolute rules - you'll have to memorize which verbs take zijn in the perfect tenses. - A list of common verbs showing their use of 'hebben' or 'zijn' in the perfect tense.
Most verbs of motion take 'hebben when it's about the time spent in motion or the distance covered, and zijn when it's about the destination - more below

The Dutch past participle is usually formed by adding a GE- prefix and a -D, -T or -EN suffix to the verb stem. Strong verbs have a vowel and occasionally a consonant change for a new 'past-tense-stem' and the past participle.
The 'present perfect tense' uses the simple present tense of 'hebben or zijn and the 'past perfect tense' uses their simple past time.

Compound verbs were mentioned on the Present Tense page. Some have a complication in their past participles. - more below.
Like in English, the past participle can often be used as an adjective.

Weak Verbs		Strong Verbs

Compound Verbs		Hebben or Zijn?

Infinitives Instead of Past Participles

The Past Participle as An Adjective

Verb Infinitives as Nouns

(het) hulpwerkwoord ['helping verb'] - auxiliary verb
(de) voltooide tijd 2 3 perfect tense
The present perfect tense:
(de) voltooid tegenwoordige tijd 2
('finished present tense') - vtt
The perfect past tense:
(de) voltooid verleden tijd 2
('finished past tense') - vvt
(het) voltooid deelwoord past participle
(het) bijvoeglijk naamwoord 2 adjective

Weak Verbs

The past participle of weak verbs is usually formed by adding the prefix ge-

to the verb stem we know and love and a -D or -T ending according to the 't kofschip-rules: verbs with stems ending in T, K, F, S, CH and P have an -T ending for the past participle, while verbs with stems ending in other letters have -D ending.
Unfortunately, there are several exceptions with an -EN ending.
't kofschip

meaning	infinitive	stem	perfect tense
to cry, weep	huilen	huil	ik heb gehuild I have cried, wept
to flee	vluchten	vlucht	ik ben gevlucht 2 I have fled
to thank	bedanken 2	bedank	ik heb bedankt 2 I have thanked (no GE-: >> )
The spelling rules for long and short vowels apply to the stem formation: A double consonant after a single vowel will become a single consonant for instance: schoppen / schop (short vowel) A single vowel before a single consonant will become a double vowel for instance: hopen 2 / hoop 2 (long vowel) - more
to vote	stemmen 2	stem	ik heb gestemd 2 I have voted
to want to	willen 2	wil	ik had gewild 2 I had wanted
to make	maken	maak	ik heb gemaakt I have made
to hope	hopen 2	hoop 2	ik had gehoopt I had hoped
to kick	schoppen	schop	ik heb geschopt I have kicked
to hear	horen 2	hoor	ik heb gehoord I have heard
'UW' is always 'long'
to push	duwen	duw	ik heb geduwd I have pushed
Verbs stems ending in D or T do not add an extra D or T
to lead	leiden	leid	ik heb geleid 2 I have led
to wait	wachten	wacht	ik heb gewacht I have waited
to talk, chat	praten	praat	ik heb gepraat 2 I have talked
Verbs with a V or Z before the -EN ending of the infinitive will in stem endings change V to F or Z to S - but it doesn't make them 't-kofschip-verbs - their past participle will end in D
to promise	beloven 2 3	beloof	ik heb beloofd I have promised (no GE-: >> )
to fear	vrezen 2	vrees	ik had gevreesd 2 I had feared, I was afraid
A few weak verbs have a past participle ending in -EN, which is usually found in strong verbs. For instance:

lachen		to laugh
ik lach		I laugh
ik lachte		I laughed
ik heb gelachen		I have laughed

bakken		to bake
ik bak		I bake, I'm baking
ik bakte		I baked
ik heb gebakken		I have baked
2

Strong Verbs

Strong verbs also usually have a ge--prefix for their past participle, and often an -EN ending; most strong verbs have a vowel or diphthong change for the past participle: sometimes it's the same vowel as for the past tense, sometimes it's the same as for the present tense, or it can be a different vowel or diphtong altogether. Though there are patterns, there are no good rules for these changes, you'll just have to memorize the verb forms.

A few examples of strong verbs that have changes similar to English:

verb infinitive	simple past tense	past participle

to fall vallen	fell viel	fallen gevallen
to stand staan	stood stond	stood gestaan
to forget vergeten	forgot vergat	forgotten vergeten
to break breken	broke brak	broken gebroken
to eat eten	ate at	eaten gegeten
to see zien	saw zag	seen gezien
to speak spreken	spoke sprak	spoken gesproken
to steal stelen	stole stal	stolen gestolen 2
verb infinitive	simple past tense	past participle
to seek (search) zoeken	sought zocht	sought gezocht 2
to find vinden	found vond	found gevonden
to bring brengen	brought bracht	brought gebracht
to think denken	thought dacht	thought gedacht
to fight vechten	fought vocht	fought gevochten
to fly vliegen	flew vloog	flown gevlogen
to bite bijten	bit beet	bitten gebeten 2
to give geven	gave gaf	given gegeven
verb infinitive	simple past tense	past participle
to sit zitten	sat zat	sat gezeten
to win winnen	won won	won gewonnen
to sing zingen	sang zong	sung gezongen
to begin beginnen	began begon	begun begonnen 2
to shoot schieten	shot schoot	shot geschoten
to do doen	did deed	done gedaan

to come komen	came kwam	come gekomen

A list of Dutch strong verbs: smartphone - desktop

The Past Participle of Compound Verbs

Some Dutch verbs are compound words, usually with prepositions. In the simple present and simple past tense, those prepostions or other words often separate from the verb, but not always, and there is a group of 'inseparable prefixes.'
When the preposition or other word separates from the root verb in the simple present and simple past tense, the past participle's GE- prefix is placed between the preposition or other word and the root verb; when the compound verb does not split, there is no GE- added in the past participle.

schoonmaken		to clean ['to make clean']
ik maak schoon		I clean
wij maken schoon		we clean
ik maakte schoon		I cleaned
wij maakten schoon		we cleaned
ik heb schoongemaakt		I have cleaned

optillen		to lift (up)
ik til op		I lift
wij tillen op		we lift
ik tilde op		I lifted
wij tilden op		we lifted
ik heb opgetild		I have lifted

a strong verb:
weggaan		to leave ['go away']
ik ga weg		I'm leaving
ik ging weg		I left
ik ben weggegaan		I have left

Some prepositions either stay with the main verb, or they may separate. The non-splitting verbs don't insert GE- in the past participle.
The rule may be that the preposition separates when the stress of the word is on preposition, but when the stress is on the main verb part the word does not split.

a strong verb:
achterlaten	to leave behind
ik laat achter	I'm leaving behind
ik liet achter	I left behind
ik heb achtergelaten	I have left behind

achterhalen		to retrieve, find out
ik achterhaal		I'm finding out
ik achterhaalde		I found out
ik heb achterhaald		I have found out

overhalen		to persuade
ik haal over		I'm persuading
ik haalde over		I persuaded
ik heb overgehaald		I have persaded

overtuigen		to convince
ik overtuig		I convince
ik overtuigde		I convinced
ik heb overtuigd		I have convinced

Finally, BE-, ER-, GE-, HER-, ONT- and VER- are 'inseparable prefixes.' They don't come off in the simple present and past tenses and don't insert GE- in their past participles.

beloven		to promise
ik beloofde		I promised
ik heb beloofd		I have promised

betalen		to pay
ik betaalde		I paid
ik heb betaald		I have paid

erkennen		to acknowledge
ik erkende		I acknowledge
ik heb erkend		I have acknowledge

geloven		to believe
ik geloof		I believe
wij geloven		we believe
ik geloofde		I believed
wij geloofden		we believed
ik heb geloofd		I have believed
2

herhalen		to repeat
ik herhaalde		I repeated
ik heb herhaald		I have repeated

ontdekken		to discover
ik ontdekte		I discovered
ik heb ontdekt		I have discovered

(a strong verb)
vergeten		to forget
ik vergat		I forgot
ik ben vergeten		I have forgotten

verhuizen		to move, relocate
ik verhuisde		I moved
ik ben verhuisd		I have moved

See gaan and komen for more examples

Hebben or Zijn?

Most Dutch verbs use 'hebben'

‑>> as the auxiliary verb for the perfect tense, like English 'to have,' but a minority of Dutch verbs uses zijn

‑>> (otherwise translated as 'to be.') Most verbs of motion (but not gaan 'to go') can take both 'hebben' and 'zijn' (with a different meaning.)

Common Dutch verbs that use 'zijn' in the perfect tense:

Zijn to be ‑>>
Ik ben geweest I have been Ik was geweest 2 I had been
Worden 2 to be (passive voice) // to become ‑>>
Ik ben geworden I have become - a complication
Komen to come ‑>>
Ik ben gekomen 2 I have come
Gaan to go ‑>>
Ik ben gegaan I have gone
Vallen to fall ‑>>
Ik ben gevallen 2 3 4 I have fallen, I did fall
Blijven 2 to remain, stay ‑>>
Ik ben gebleven 2 I have stayed, remained
Beginnen to start, begin ‑>>
Ik ben begonnen 2 I have begun, I have started
Blijken to appear, turn out to be ‑>>
Het is gebleken 2 It has turned out ... It has come to light ...
Vluchten to flee, escape ‑>>
Ik ben gevlucht 2 I have fled, I have escaped
Slagen 2 3 4 to pass an exam // to succeed, be successsful ‑>>
Ik ben geslaagd 2 I passed the test // I've found what I was looking for // I have succeeded
Verdwijnen 2 to disappear ‑>>
Het is verdwenen It has disappeared
Opstaan 2 'to get up' - usually out of bed after sleep ‑>>
Ben je opgestaan? 2 Did you get up? Did you get out of bed?
Gebeuren to happen, occur, take place ‑>>
't Is gebeurd 2 [It has happened] - usually this means: 'The job is done'
Schrikken 2 3 4 to be shocked, frightened ‑>>
Lukken 2 to succeed, be successful ‑>>
Groeien 2 3 to grow ‑>>
Doodgaan to die ‑>>
Sterven to die, pass away ‑>>
Bederven 2 to spoil, go bad // ruin, lower in value ‑>>
Zinken to sink (passive only) ‑>>
Verhuizen 2 3 to move, relocate ‑>>
Vertrekken to leave, depart ‑>>
Landen 2 to land (in an airplane)

'Verhuizen' from the list above goes with 'hebben' for the perfect tense when the subject helps bring about the action, like:
Ik ben verhuisd 2 I have moved (I live in another house, place, country now) Ik heb verhuisd 2 I have helped someone move (profesionally or as a friend)

'Genezen' 2 3 'to heal'
genezen to heal, cure	genas healed, cured	genezen healed, cured	2 3
	wij genazen 2 3 we healed, cured

The infinitive and the past participle of 'genezen' are identical because verbs with an 'inseparable prefix' like GE‑ do not add GE‑ to the past participe, and as a 'strong' verb it has the usual ‑EN ending to the past participle.
Genezen

2 3 'to heal' - like in English, both 'to cure' like a healer, usually a doctor, and 'to improve, get better.' There's a difference with the use of hebben and zijn in the perfect tenses:
Ik heb genezen

2 3 I have healed, I have cured, I have provided a successfull treatment Ik ben genezen

2 3 I am healed, I am cured, I am much better (de) genezing

2 3 recovery,' "healing"
Geneesmiddelen

2 medicines, medication, drugs (somewhat old-fashioned)
More Medical

'Optreden' usually means 'to perform' (on a stage as an artist) - but it can also mean 'to take action, to intervene.' The verb optreden can take both hebben and zijn in the perfect tenses; I have a preference for zijn with the 'action' meaning.
Ik heb opgetreden 2 3 I have performed // I have taken action Ik ben opgetreden 2 3 I have taken action // I have performed

Verbs of motion often have a perfect tense with either hebben ('to have') or zijn ('to be') as the auxiliary verb. For these verbs, hebben is used when it's about the time spent in motion or the distance covered, and zijn is used when it's about the destination.

Ik heb een uur gelopen 2 'I walked for an hour' Ik ben naar huis gelopen 2 'I walked home' Ik ben naar Amsterdam gelopen 2 'I walked to Amsterdam' Ik ben naar Veenendaal gefietst 2 'I rode a bike to Veenendaal' Ik heb een uur gefietst 2 'I rode a bike for an hour' Ze heeft een marathon gelopen 2 She's done, run a marathon Ik heb tachtig kilometer gefietst 2 3 I've biked 80 kilometers

Lopen 2 to walk, hike ‑>>
ik heb gelopen
ik ben gelopen I have walked
Fietsen 2 to ride a bike ‑>>
ik heb gefietst 2 I have ridden a bike ik ben gefietst I rode a bike
Rijden 2 to drive // to ride ‑>>
Ik heb gereden
Ik ben gereden I have driven/ridden
Wandelen to walk, stroll, hike ‑>>
Rennen 2 to run ‑>>
Zwemmen to swim ‑>>
Vliegen to fly ‑>>
Springen 2 3 to jump ‑>>

vergeten 2 3 to forget ‑>>
'Vergeten' and 'to forget' can mean both something disappeared from your memory, you don't remember, or it can mean you were going to do something but didn't do it. In Dutch, forgetting to do is traditionally with 'hebben' in the perfect tense, but I now use 'zijn' for both meanings.

- A list with basic conjugation of common verbs showing the use of 'hebben' or 'zijn'

It may lead to some confusion that English uses 'to be' as the auxiliary verb of the passive tense while Dutch uses zijn for the perfect tense of some verbs. The passive voice in Dutch is with the auxiliary verb worden and in a further complication its past participle geworden is left out in the perfect tenses. ‑>>

Infinitives Instead of Past Participles

There is a small group of common verbs that when in the perfect tense combined with other verbs will not be in the form of past participles but as infinitives.

Ik heb de vogels horen fluiten 2 3 I've heard the birds sing We hebben zitten luisteren 2 3 We [have been] were listening Ik ben gaan vissen 2 3 (I have) gone fishing!

kunnen 'can, being able to' ‑>>
willen 2 'to want to, desire' ‑>>
mogen 2 'may, be allowed to' ‑>>
moeten 2 'must, have to' ‑>>
laten 'to let, allow' ‑>>
gaan 'to go, going to' ‑>>
doen 2 3 'to do, make' ‑>>
blijven 2 'to remain, stay, continue' ‑>>
komen 'to come' ‑>>
hoeven 'need to, be necessary' ‑>
leren 'to learn' and 'to teach' (also with past participle) ‑>>
zien 'to see' ‑>>
horen 2 'to hear' ‑>>
voelen 2 'to feel' ‑>
'zitten' (to sit, to be seated) ‑>>
'liggen' 2 (to lie, be lying down) ‑>>
'staan' (to stand, to be standing) ‑>>
'lopen' 2 (to walk) ‑>>

See: Verb Combinations in The Perfect Tenses
- short version

The Past Participle as an Adjective

The past participle can often be used as an adjective. See also: Adjectives' E-ending

koken 2	to boil; to cook
gekookt	boiled
gekookt ei	'boiled egg'
de gekookte aardappels	'the boiled potatoes'

Ik heb de aardappelen gekookt 2 'I have boiled the potatoes'

gekookt ei

roosteren	to roast, to grill
geroosterd	roasted, toasted, grilled
geroosterd brood	[roasted bread] 'toast'

geroosterd brood

- many Dutchmen just say 'toast'

roken 2	to smoke
gerookt	smoked
gerookte paling 2	smoked eel'

stoven 2	to stew, slow-cook
gestoofd 2	stewed
gestoofde peertjes	stewed pears

Note that a D as the last letter of a word is pronounced as T, but as D when the -E ending is added ->>

bakken	to bake, to fry, to sauté
gebakken	baked, fried, sautéed
gebakken ei	'fried egg'

gebakken champignons

2 3 sautéed mushrooms

ik heb brood gebakken I have baked bread ik heb de aardappelen gebakken 'I have [baked] fried the potatoes'

gebakken ei

(spiegelei

gebakken champignons

2 3

een brood

ik heb brood gebakken

As you may have noted in some of the examples above, Dutch usually puts the past participles at the end of the line >>
Jan heeft een boek aan Piet gegeven. 2 Jan has given a book to Piet.

Verb Infinitives as Nouns

Verb infinitives used as nouns always take 'het'

het verwoorden 2 the phrasing, putting into words Het eten van varkensvlees is verboden Eating pork is not allowed. Het drinken van alcohol is toegestaan 'Drinking alcohol is permitted'

het zinken van het schip the sinking of the ship The line above just describes the ship going down, and does NOT have a second meaning 'making the ship go down' like in English. For that, when a ship is bombed, torpedoed or scuttled there's the phrase:
tot zinken brengen 2 3 'to sink' a ship

A List of Strong Verbs and Their Changes

<< the simple past tense - the future tense >>

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