Dutch verbs
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HideWhat is a verb in Dutch?
Verbs are used to describe someone, something that can be performed, or an event that is happening. Examples of Dutch verbs are:
- 'lopen' (to walk)
- 'koken' (to cook)
- 'fietsen' (to cycle)
The verbs in Dutch conjugate to the tense it is in and the subject the verb is related to.
In the subchapters of this course you can learn about the conjugation of the verbs in different tenses, the Dutch modal verbs, the Dutch infinitives, regular and irregular verbs, the imperative in Dutch and at the end you will find a list of Dutch verbs.
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Conjugation of Dutch verbs
You will learn about the conjugation of Dutch verbs in the 8 different tenses.
- Ik hoor je. (I hear you.)
- Ik hoorde je. (I heard you.)
- Ik heb je gehoord. (I have heard you.)
Modal verbs
The Dutch modal verbs add a certain attitude towards another verb in the sentence. There are 6 modal verbs, which are always found in the beginning of the sentence.
- Ik moet je horen. (I must hear you.)
- Ik kan je horen. (I am able to hear you.)
The infinitive
Most Dutch infinitives end in '-en'. Some infinitives are used with 'te' and some are used without 'te'.
- Je bent te horen. (You can be heard.)
- Ik wil je horen. (I want to hear you.)
Regular verbs and their rules
The Dutch regular verbs do not have a change in vowel in the stem when they are conjugated to the different tenses.
- Ik hoor. (I hear)
- Ik hoorde. (I heard)
Irregular verbs and their rules
The Dutch irregular verbs usually differ in the past simple and past participle, and are conjugated differently.
- Ik lees. (I read)
- Ik las. (I read)
- Ik heb gelezen. (I have read)
The imperative
The Dutch imperative is used to give an order or command.
- Doe dicht. (Close it.)
- Niet openen. (Do not open.)
The 100 most common Dutch verbs
In the table you will find a list of 100 common used verbs in Dutch.
If you study these chapters, you will improve your Dutch speaking and writing skills. There are exercises in every chapter to practice what you have learned in that chapter.