Language/Dutch/Grammar/Present-Tense-and-Regular-Verbs

Dutch Grammar → Verbs and Conjugation → Present Tense and Regular Verbs

As a Dutch language teacher, I know that one of the most important things to learn in order to communicate effectively in Dutch is the present tense of regular verbs. Once you have mastered this, you will be able to confidently talk about what you are doing right now, what you do on a regular basis or what is happening in general. In this lesson, I will introduce you to the basics of the present tense of Dutch regular verbs and guide you through practice exercises so you can perfect your conjugation.

Basic Structure

In Dutch, regular verbs follow a simple pattern when conjugating to the present tense. There are two types of regular verbs, those that end in "-en" and those that end in "-d" or "-t".

For verbs that end in "-en", the following suffixes are added for each person:

• Ik (I) - "-en"
• Jij/U (You, singular) - "-t"
• Hij/Zij/Het (He/She/It) - "-t"
• Wij (We) - "-en"
• Jullie (You, plural) - "-en"
• Zij (They) - "-en"

For example, let us conjugate the verb "spelen" (to play) in the present tense:

Dutch	Pronunciation	English
ik speel	[ɪk speːl]	I play
jij/u speelt	[jɛi̯/yː speːlt]	You play
hij/zij/het speelt	[ɦɛi̯/ʔɛi̯ zij/hɛt speːlt]	He/She/It plays
wij spelen	[ʋɛi̯ speːlə(n)]	We play
jullie spelen	[jʏl.ˈli spe.lə(n)]	You play (plural)
zij spelen	[zɛi̯ speːlə(n)]	They play

Verbs that end in "-d" or "-t" are a little trickier to conjugate. The following suffixes should be added for each person:

• Ik (I) - None (although sometimes a "t" is added for emphasis)
• Jij/U (You, singular) - "-t"
• Hij/Zij/Het (He/She/It) - "-t"
• Wij (We) - "-en"
• Jullie (You, plural) - "-en"
• Zij (They) - "-en"

Here's how we conjugate the verb "maken" (to make) in the present tense:

Dutch	Pronunciation	English
ik maak	[ɪk maːk]	I make
jij/u maakt	[jɛi̯/yː maːkt]	You make
hij/zij/het maakt	[ɦɛi̯/ʔɛi̯ zij/hɛt maːkt]	He/She/It makes
wij maken	[ʋɛi̯ maːkə(n)]	We make
jullie maken	[jʏl.ˈli maːkə(n)]	You make (plural)
zij maken	[zɛi̯ maːkə(n)]	They make

Practice Exercises

Now that you have learned the basic structure, it's time to practice conjugating regular verbs to the present tense on your own. Below are some exercises and answers for you to double-check your results afterwards.

Exercise 1: Conjugate the verbs in the present tense:

1. werken (to work) 2. lopen (to walk) 3. kijken (to watch) 4. eten (to eat) 5. drinken (to drink)

Answers: 1.

Dutch	Pronunciation	English
ik werk	[ɪk ʋɛrk]	I work
jij/u werkt	[jɛi̯/yː ʋɛrkt]	You work
hij/zij/het werkt	[ɦɛi̯/ʔɛi̯ zij/hɛt ʋɛrkt]	He/She/It works
wij werken	[ʋɛi̯ ʋɛrkə(n)]	We work
jullie werken	[jʏl.ˈli ʋɛrkə(n)]	You work (plural)
zij werken	[zɛi̯ ʋɛrkə(n)]	They work

2.

Dutch	Pronunciation	English
ik loop	[ɪk lop]	I walk
jij/u loopt	[jɛi̯/yː lop(t)]	You walk
hij/zij/het loopt	[ɦɛi̯/ʔɛi̯ zij/hɛt lop(t)]	He/She/It walks
wij lopen	[ʋɛi̯ lopə(n)]	We walk
jullie lopen	[jʏl.ˈli lopə(n)]	You walk (plural)
zij lopen	[zɛi̯ lopə(n)]	They walk

3.

Dutch	Pronunciation	English
ik kijk	[ɪk kɛi̯k]	I watch
jij/u kijkt	[jɛi̯/yː kɛi̯kt]	You watch
hij/zij/het kijkt	[ɦɛi̯/ʔɛi̯ zij/hɛt kɛi̯kt]	He/She/It watches
wij kijken	[ʋɛi̯ kɛi̯kə(n)]	We watch
jullie kijken	[jʏl.ˈli kɛi̯kə(n)]	You watch (plural)
zij kijken	[zɛi̯ kɛi̯kə(n)]	They watch

4.

Dutch	Pronunciation	English
ik eet	[ɪk eːt]	I eat
jij/u eet	[jɛi̯/yː eːt]	You eat
hij/zij/het eet	[ɦɛi̯/ʔɛi̯ zij/hɛt eːt]	He/She/It eats
wij eten	[ʋɛi̯ eːtə(n)]	We eat
jullie eten	[jʏl.ˈli eːtə(n)]	You eat (plural)
zij eten	[zɛi̯ eːtə(n)]	They eat

5.

Dutch	Pronunciation	English
ik drink	[ɪk drɪŋk]	I drink
jij/u drinkt	[jɛi̯/yː drɪŋkt]	You drink
hij/zij/het drinkt	[ɦɛi̯/ʔɛi̯ zij/hɛt drɪŋkt]	He/She/It drinks
wij drinken	[ʋɛi̯ drɪŋkə(n)]	We drink
jullie drinken	[jʏl.ˈli drɪŋkə(n)]	You drink (plural)
zij drinken	[zɛi̯ drɪŋkə(n)]	They drink

Exercise 2: Finish the sentences using the correct form of the verb in the present tense.

1. Ik ____ (lopen) naar de supermarkt. 2. Jij ____ (kijken) naar de televisie. 3. Wij ____ (drinken) graag koffie. 4. Zij ____ (maken) een taart voor de verjaardag. 5. Hij ____ (werken) hard op kantoor.

Answers: 1. Ik loop naar de supermarkt. 2. Jij kijkt naar de televisie. 3. Wij drinken graag koffie. 4. Zij maken een taart voor de verjaardag. 5. Hij werkt hard op kantoor.

Tips

1. Be mindful of which type of regular verb you are dealing with. Conjugation varies between "-en" and "-d/-t" ending verbs. 2. Focus on pronunciation, especially on "jij/u" and "hij/zij/het" forms which contain the "-t" ending. You don't want to sound like you're saying something else! 3. Once you have mastered regular verbs, move on to irregular verbs and modal verbs. You will have much more flexibility in your communication with native Dutch speakers.

Sources

• Dutch Present Tense of Regular Verbs - How to conjugate verbs in ...
• Learn Dutch Present Tense | Dutch Grammar Exercises | Dutch verbs
• Dutch grammar - Wikipedia
• Dutch Grammar • Dutch irregular verbs

Table of Contents - Dutch Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Vowels and Consonants
• Accent Marks and Stress

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Gender and Articles
• Plural and Diminutives

  ---

Verbs and Conjugation

• Present Tense and Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs
• Modal Verbs

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs
• Order of Adjectives and Adverbs

  ---

Prepositions and Pronouns

• Prepositions of Place and Time
• Reflexive and Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Family

• Family Members
• Family Life and Relationships

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Food and Drinks

• Food and Ingredients
• Drinks and Beverages

  ---

Travel

• Means of Transport
• Travel Destinations

  ---

Work and Jobs

• Professions and Occupations
• Job Applications and Interviews

  ---

The Netherlands

• Geography and Landmarks
• History and Traditions

  ---

Dutch Customs

• Greetings and Etiquette
• Holidays and Celebrations

Related Lessons

• Indefinite Articles in Dutch
• Plural
• How to use “can” in Dutch
• Adjectives
• Ordinal Numbers in Dutch
• Interrogative words in Dutch
• How to use “to be” with names and places
• The Accusative Case in Dutch
• Genitive Case in Dutch
• The Locative Case in Dutch