What is the pv in Dutch grammar? How to find the persoonsvorm

Last checked: 29 October 2026

The pv, short for persoonsvorm, is the conjugated verb in a Dutch sentence: the one verb that changes with the subject and the tense. In Ik heb gisteren gewerkt (I worked yesterday), the pv is heb. Every clause has exactly one pv. In a main clause it always stands in second position.

Dutch teachers and grammar books use the term all the time, so it is worth knowing. For the wider picture, see the Dutch grammar guide.

Three tests to find the pv

Test 1: change the tense

Put the sentence in the past, or in the present if it is already past. The verb that changes is the pv.

• Ik werk thuis. becomes Ik werkte thuis. (I work / worked at home.) The pv is werk.
• Zij heeft een auto gekocht. becomes Zij had een auto gekocht. (She has / had bought a car.) The pv is heeft. Gekocht does not change, so it is not the pv.

Test 2: make a yes/no question

Turn the sentence into a question. The verb that moves to the front is the pv.

• Jij woont in Utrecht. becomes Woon jij in Utrecht? (You live in Utrecht. / Do you live in Utrecht?)
• Hij kan morgen komen. becomes Kan hij morgen komen? (He can come tomorrow. / Can he come tomorrow?)

Notice that woont lost its -t in the question. That happens only when jij or je follows the verb.

Test 3: change singular and plural

Change the subject from one person to more, or the other way around. The verb that changes with it is the pv.

• Mijn buurman gaat vaak naar de markt. becomes Mijn buren gaan vaak naar de markt. (My neighbour goes / neighbours go to the market often.)

This test also shows you the subject (onderwerp): it is the word or group that the pv agrees with.

Where the pv goes

The pv is the fixed point of Dutch word order.

Main clause: position 2. Whatever comes first, the pv follows it.

• Ik ga morgen naar Amsterdam. (I'm going to Amsterdam tomorrow.)
• Morgen ga ik naar Amsterdam. (Tomorrow I'm going to Amsterdam.)

Questions and commands: position 1.

• Heb je tijd? (Do you have time?)
• Kom even hier. (Come here for a moment.)

After words like dat, omdat and als: at the end.

• Ik denk dat ze vandaag niet komt. (I think she is not coming today.)
• Hij blijft thuis omdat hij ziek is. (He is staying home because he is ill.)

The word order cheat sheet shows all these patterns side by side.

One pv per clause

A sentence can have several verbs but only one pv per clause.

• Ik wil morgen gaan zwemmen. (I want to go swimming tomorrow.) Three verbs, one pv: wil. Gaan and zwemmen are infinitives.
• We zijn gisteren naar huis gefietst. (We cycled home yesterday.) The pv is zijn. Gefietst is a participle.

A sentence with two clauses has two pv's:

• Ik denk dat hij gelijk heeft. (I think he is right.) Denk belongs to the main clause, heeft to the clause after dat.

Why the pv matters

Word order

Almost every word order rule in Dutch is a rule about where the pv goes. Once you can find it, mistakes like Morgen ik ga become easy to spot. Practise this with the sentence builder.

Spelling with d and t

Dutch spells many verbs with d or t at the end, and it depends on the pv. The rule: stem plus t for hij, zij, het, and for jij when jij comes before the verb.

• Hij wordt morgen dertig. (He turns thirty tomorrow.) Stem word + t.
• Word jij morgen dertig? (Are you turning thirty tomorrow?) Jij after the verb, so no t.
• Zij vindt het leuk. (She likes it.) Stem vind + t.

Native speakers make these mistakes too, which is why Dutch schools spend so much time on finding the pv. The present tense cheat sheet has the full set of endings, and the verb explorer shows every form of a verb.

Finding the subject

The subject always agrees with the pv. In a long sentence like In de zomer gaan mijn ouders altijd naar Frankrijk (In summer my parents always go to France), test 3 shows that mijn ouders is the subject, not de zomer.

Common mistakes

• Taking the infinitive for the pv. In Ik moet werken, the pv is moet, not werken.
• Taking the participle for the pv. In Ik heb gewerkt, the pv is heb.
• Looking for two pv's in one clause. If you find two, one of them belongs to another clause.

Test yourself on these rules with the free grammar quiz. It includes word order and verb conjugation.

For other grammar topics in the order you need them, read how to learn Dutch grammar.

Frequently asked questions

What does pv mean in Dutch?

Pv stands for persoonsvorm, the conjugated verb. It is called that because its form depends on the person: ik werk, hij werkt, wij werken.

Can a sentence have no pv?

A full clause always has one. Short answers and headings like Ja, graag (Yes, please) have no verb at all, but they are not full clauses.

Is the pv the same as the main verb?

Not always. In Ik heb gegeten (I have eaten), the pv is heb, but the verb with the meaning is gegeten. Only in a sentence with one verb, like Ik eet, are they the same.

Is an imperative a pv?

Yes. In Kom hier (Come here), kom is the pv, in first position.

What is the difference between the pv and the werkwoordelijk gezegde?

The werkwoordelijk gezegde is all the verbs in the clause together. In Ik heb gewerkt, that is heb gewerkt. The pv is only heb.

Do I need to know the word persoonsvorm for the inburgering exam?

No, the exam does not test grammar terms. But knowing how to find the pv helps you write correct sentences in the writing and speaking exams.