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Color Coding Legend
Blue: Subject Pronouns
Green: Object Pronouns
Red: Possessive / Negation
Gold: Key Rules / Formal
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Dutch Verbs
Present Tense · zijn · hebben · Modal Verbs
stam + endings
zijn (to be)
hebben (to have)
't kofschip
-t drop on inversion
The Three Essential Verbs
zijn
to be — fully irregular
ikben
jij / jebentben (inversion)
ubent / is
hij/zij/hetis
wij / wezijn
julliezijn
zij / zezijn
hebben
to have — slightly irregular
ikheb
jij / jehebtheb (inversion)
uheeft / hebt
hij/zij/hetheeft
wij / wehebben
julliehebben
zij / zehebben
werken
to work — regular (stam: werk)
ikwerkstam only
jij / jewerktwerk (inversion)
uwerkt
hij/zij/hetwerkt
wij / wewerken= infinitive
julliewerken
zij / zewerken
How to Find the Stem (Stam)
Step 1
Take the infinitive
werken, wonen, leven
Step 2
Remove -en
werk–, won–, lev–
Step 3
Fix spelling (double vowel / f↔v)
won → woon, lev → leef
Step 4
Add endings: — (ik), -t (hij), -en (wij)
ik woon / hij woont / wij wonen
't Kofschip
If the stem ends in a letter from 't kofschip, past tense gets -te / -ten. All other consonants get -de / -den. Also: fokschaap is the same mnemonic.
't
kof
sch
ip
e.g. werk → stem ends in k (in kofschip) → werkte | leer → stem ends in r (not in kofschip) → leerde
The –t Drop Rule (Inversion)
| Type | Dutch | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal order | Jij werkt hier. | You work here. | jij before verb → keep -t |
| Inversion (question) | Werk je hier? | Do you work here? | je AFTER verb → drop -t |
| Normal order | Jij bent thuis. | You are home. | normal → bent |
| Inversion | Ben je thuis? | Are you home? | je after verb → ben (no -t) |
| Adverb first | Morgen werk je niet. | Tomorrow you don't work. | je still after verb → drop -t |
Modal & Common Irregular Verbs
| Infinitive | Meaning | ik | jij / hij | wij |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| willen | to want | wil | wil / wilt | willen |
| kunnen | can / to be able | kan | kan / kunt | kunnen |
| mogen | may / to be allowed | mag | mag | mogen |
| moeten | must / to have to | moet | moet | moeten |
| zullen | shall / will (future) | zal | zal / zult | zullen |
| gaan | to go | ga | gaat | gaan |
| komen | to come | kom | komt | komen |
| doen | to do | doe | doet | doen |
| zien | to see | zie | ziet | zien |
| weten | to know (fact) | weet | weet | weten |
weten vs. kennen: Dutch has two “to know” verbs. weten = know a fact (“Ik weet het.”). kennen = to be acquainted with (“Ik ken haar.”). This trips up many learners.