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Dutch Verbs: The Simple Present Tense - Smartphones Page

Now that you know how to produce the verb stems we'll progress to the conjugation of the verbs
(de) verbuiging

2 3 'conjugation'
the simple present tense
onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd

2
('unfinished present tense') - ott

Present Tense Model and Examples

Question Mode		Compound Verbs

The Present Tense Model and Examples

Simple Present Model
I	ik	STEM
you (singular)	jij	STEM + t
he	hij	STEM + t
we	wij	INFINITIVE ( ~ STEM + en)
you (plural)	jullie	INFINITIVE ( ~ STEM + en)
they	zij	INFINITIVE ( ~ STEM + en)
you (polite)	U	STEM + t

Examples:

helpen		to help, assist
ik help		I'm helping
jij helpt		you are helping (singular, informal you)
hij helpt		he is helping
wij helpen		we are helping
jullie helpen		you are helping (plural, informal you)
zij helpen		they are helping
U helpt		you are helping (polite you)

ik lach

(lachen 2 )		to laugh
ik lach		I'm laughing
jij lacht		you're laughing
hij lacht		he's laughing
wij lachen		we're laughing
jullie lachen		y'all are laughing
zij lachen		they are laughing
U lacht		you are laughing

kennen		to know (people)
ik ken		I know
jij kent		you know (singular, informal you)
hij kent		he knows
wij kennen		we know
jullie kennen		you know (plural, informal you)
zij kennen		they know
U kent		you know (polite you)

maken		to make
ik maak		I make
jij maakt		you make
hij maakt		he makes
wij maken		we make
jullie maken		y'all make
zij maken		they make
U maakt		you make

So when a verb stem ends in a single consonant, adding the -EN ending causes a doubling of that final consonant when there is a single vowel in the last syllable of the stem (ken/kennen) or a double vowel in the last syllable of the stem will become a single vowel (maak/maken) - it's the reverse of the stem formation from the infinitive, when the -EN ending is dropped. More: The Spelling Rules and the Verb Stem

ik lees

I'm reading

lezen		to read
ik lees		I'm reading
jij leest		you're reading
hij leest		he's reading
wij lezen		we're reading
jullie lezen		y'all are reading
zij lezen		they're reading
U leest		you're reading

ik schrijf

I'm writing - >>

schrijven		to write
ik schrijf		I'm writing
jij schrijft		you're writing
hij schrijft		he's writing
wij schrijven		we're writing
jullie schrijven		y'all are writing
zij schrijven		they're writing
U schrijft		youare writing

(Note that CH in SCHR is not pronounced)
Dutch words 'cannot' end in V or Z, so verb infinitives with V or Z before ‑EN become stems ending in F or S: The V/F and Z/S shift

Verb stems already ending in T do not add a second T:

zitten		to sit, be sitting
ik zit		I'm sitting
jij zit		you're sitting
hij zit		he's sitting
wij zitten		we're sitting
jullie zitten		y'all are sitting
zij zitten		they're sitting
U zit		you are sitting

In Dutch, a D at the end of a word is pronounced as T. Although it makes no difference in pronunciation, verb stems ending in D do add T's in their conjugation.
'Word' and 'wordt' sound exactly the same:
ik word 2 / hij wordt 2 ('I become'/'he becomes') - see also: The Passive Voice

rijden		to drive; to ride
ik rijd		I'm riding / driving
jij rijdt		you are riding / driving
hij rijdt		he is riding / driving
wij rijden		we are riding / driving
jullie rijden		y'all are riding / driving
zij rijden		they are riding / driving
U rijdt		you are riding / driving

Verbs with double A in their infinitive like 'gaan' ('to go') have a stem with single A: ga 2. When a T is added for the second and third person singular the A is doubles again to keep that vowel 'long.'
(het) gat 'hole'

(gaan )		to go
ik ga		I go
jij gaat		you go
hij gaat		he goes
wij gaan		we go
jullie gaan		y'all go
zij gaan		they go
U gaat		you go

Question Mode and The Second Person Singular

In questions and a few other types of sentences the verb is placed before the subject. In that position, the verb for the second person singular (informal 'you') will drop the T - the verb will be just the stem.

je bent 2		you are
ben je?		are you?
je hebt 2		you have
heb je? 2 3		do you have?

Compound Verbs

Dutch often runs words together. A nice example is:
(de) spoorwegovergangwachter

'rail-road-over-way-(crossing)-guard'
Dutch also has compound verbs, often with prepositions. In the present and past tense, those prepostions or other words often separate from the verb, but not always, and there is a group of 'inseparable prefixes' - more in the perfect tense page.

optillen		to lift
ik til op		I lift
jij tilt op		you lift
hij tilt op		he lifts
wij tillen op		we lift
jullie tillen op		y'all lift
zij tillen op		they lift
U tilt op		you lift

more about splitting verbs

<< the verbs stem - the past tense >>

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