A Dutch learning website
Dutch verbs (werkwoorden) are an essential part of mastering the language. They express actions, states, and occurrences, and—like in English—change form to indicate tense, person, and number.
This guide introduces the structure of Dutch verbs, explains the difference between regular and irregular verbs, and provides practical examples and conjugation tables.
Dutch verbs fall into three main categories:
| Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Regular verbs | Follow a predictable pattern in their conjugation | werken → ik werk, jij werkt |
| Irregular verbs | Change stem or vowels unpredictably | zijn → ik ben, jij bent |
| Modal/Auxiliary verbs | Used to form compound tenses or express modality | kunnen, willen, hebben, zijn |
Regular verbs in Dutch typically end in -en, such as werken (to work), maken (to make), spelen (to play).
To form the present tense:
| Person | Ending | Example: werken |
|---|---|---|
| ik (I) | — | ik werk |
| jij / je (you) | -t | jij werkt |
| hij / zij / het (he/she/it) | -t | hij werkt |
| wij / jullie / zij (we/you/they) | -en | wij werken |
Note: When jij follows the verb (in questions), the -t is dropped:
→ Werk jij morgen? (Do you work tomorrow?)
Regular verbs use either ‘t kofschip rule** to decide the past ending:
If the stem ends with t, k, f, s, ch, p, use -te / -ten.
Otherwise, use -de / -den.
| Verb | Stem Ending | Past Singular | Past Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| werken | k → in ’t kofschip | werkte | werkten |
| leven | v → not in ’t kofschip | leefde | leefden |
Irregular verbs do not follow the standard pattern. They often change the stem vowel in past tense or have unique forms.
| Infinitive | Present (ik) | Past (ik) | Perfect (heb/ben +) | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| zijn | ben | was | ben geweest | to be |
| hebben | heb | had | heb gehad | to have |
| gaan | ga | ging | ben gegaan | to go |
| komen | kom | kwam | ben gekomen | to come |
| doen | doe | deed | heb gedaan | to do |
Dutch uses auxiliary verbs (hulpwerkwoorden) to form compound tenses like the perfect and future.
| Verb | Meaning | Use Example |
|---|---|---|
| hebben | to have | Ik heb gewerkt — I have worked |
| zijn | to be | Ik ben gegaan — I have gone |
| zullen | will/shall | Ik zal komen — I will come |
Verbs of movement or change of state (e.g., gaan, komen, worden, blijven) typically use zijn as the auxiliary verb.
Modal verbs express ability, necessity, permission, or desire.
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| kunnen | can, to be able to | Ik kan zwemmen — I can swim |
| mogen | may, to be allowed to | Jij mag gaan — You may go |
| willen | to want | Wij willen eten — We want to eat |
| moeten | must, to have to | Ik moet werken — I must work |
| zullen | shall, will | Wij zullen komen — We will come |
Modal verbs are often followed by the infinitive at the end of the clause.
These verbs have a prefix that splits off in main clauses.
| Verb | Prefix | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| opstaan | op | Ik sta vroeg op | I get up early |
| meedoen | mee | Doe jij mee? | Are you joining? |
In subordinate clauses, the prefix stays attached:
Ik weet dat ik opsta om zeven uur.
These verbs keep their prefix attached in all situations.
| Verb | Prefix | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| begrijpen | be- | Ik begrijp het niet | I do not understand |
| ontvangen | ont- | Zij ontvangen een brief | They receive a letter |
Formed with hebben or zijn + past participle.
| Verb | Auxiliary | Past Participle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| werken | hebben | gewerkt | Ik heb gewerkt |
| gaan | zijn | gegaan | Ik ben gegaan |
The past participle usually begins with ge- and ends with -t or -d.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Ik werk elke dag. | I work every day. |
| Gisteren werkte ik thuis. | Yesterday I worked from home. |
| Ik heb vandaag veel gedaan. | I have done a lot today. |
| We zijn naar Amsterdam gegaan. | We went to Amsterdam. |
| Hij wil Nederlands leren. | He wants to learn Dutch. |