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Dutch Verbs: The 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 click to hear 2 3 'conjugation'
the simple present tense
onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd click to hear 2
('unfinished present tense') - ott click to hear

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)
click to hear

[I'm laughing]
ik lach click to hear
(lachen click to hear 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
click to hear

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)
click to hear

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
click to hear

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 Verb Stem

[I am reading]
ik lees click to hear 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
click to hear

[I am writing]
ik schrijf click to hear 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
click to hear
(Note that CH in SCHR is not pronounced)

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
click to hear

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 click to hear 2 / hij wordt click to hear 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
click to hear

Verbs with double A in their infinitive like 'gaan' click to hear ('to go') have a stem with single A: ga click to hear 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 click to hear 'hole'

(gaan click to hear) 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
click to hear

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 click to hear 2 you are
ben je? click to hear are you?
je hebt click to hear 2 you have
heb je? click to hear 2 3 do you have?

Compound Verbs

Dutch often runs words together. A nice example is:
(de) spoorwegovergangwachter click to hear
'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
click to hear

more about splitting verbs

<< the verbs stem - the past tense >>

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Gij zult niet stelen click to hear 'Thou shalt not steal'