The present simple tense in Dutch, or de tegenwoordige tijd, is essential for describing current actions, habits, general truths, and fixed schedules. This article will guide you through the basics of verb conjugation in Dutch and provide clear examples to help you use the tense correctly. At the end, you’ll find exercises to practice and solidify your understanding.
The stem of the verb
In order to use a verb correctly we need to conjugate it. This simply means the verb changes based on the person or thing that is performing the action we’re describing.
We start by finding the stem of the verb. As you can see in the examples below almost all Dutch verbs end with -en.
We make the stem by taking away the -en. Note that if the stem ends with a double consonant, the second consonant is left out.
Dutch Verb Conjugation
Now that we have the stem of the verb we can start conjugating. We do this by adding new endings to the stem, based on the person or thing that is performing the action.
For demonstration we’ll use the verb ‘werken’ (to work)
If the stem ends in a -t, we don’t have to add another -t with the second and third person.
Irregularities
When we make the stem of the verb it isn’t always as easy as just taking of -en. We already know the stem can never end in a double consonant. Here are a couple of other irregularities that often occur.
If the verb contains an open vowel sound, we double it when making the stem:
If the stem ends in a ‘z’ or a ‘v’ we change the consonant.
‘z’ becomes ‘s’.
‘v’ becomes ‘f’.
Did you enjoy this explanation about the basics of verb conjugation in Dutch? Join one of our courses and experience how our teachers can help you practice in an engaging and collaborative online environment!
Exercises
Fill in the correct conjugation of the verb in brackets.
Conjugate the verb in brackets. Each of them has some kind of irregularity when conjugating.
Translate the verb in brackets and conjugate it to fit in the sentence.
