Language/Dutch/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have

Dutch Grammar - How to Use "Have"

Hi Dutch learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use "have" in Dutch. "Have" or "hebben" in Dutch is a common verb that is used to form different tenses and moods, express possession, and to talk about actions and events that have already taken place. Knowing how to use "have" correctly is important to understand and speak Dutch fluently. We will go over some useful information, examples, and exercises, so let's get started!

Conjugation of "have" in Present Tense

Before we start using "have" in different tenses, we need to know how to conjugate it in the present tense. The table below shows the conjugation of "have" in the present tense:

Personal pronoun	Conjugation
Ik (I)	heb
Jij/u (You)	hebt
Hij/Zij/Het (He/She/It)	heeft
Wij (We)	hebben
Jullie (You all)	hebben
Zij (They)	hebben

Notice that "hebben" changes depending on the subject pronoun. This is similar to the English language where "have" changes to "has" depending on the subject.

Using "have" to Form Perfect Tenses

In Dutch, to form perfect tenses, we need the auxiliary verb "hebben." The perfect tenses are formed by combining "hebben" with the past participle of a verb. Let's see some examples:

• Ik heb gevoetbald. (I have played soccer.)
• Wij hebben gegeten in het restaurant. (We have eaten in the restaurant.)
• Jullie hebben gereisd naar Frankrijk. (You all have traveled to France.)

Notice that in the above examples, we used the past participle of the verb: gevoetbald (played), gegeten (eaten), and gereisd (traveled). We also used "hebben" to create the perfect tenses.

Using "have" to Express Possession

In Dutch, "have" or "hebben" is also used to express possession. Let's see some examples:

• Ik heb een auto. (I have a car.)
• Hij heeft een hond. (He has a dog.)
• Wij hebben drie kinderen. (We have three children.)

Notice that we used "hebben" in combination with a noun or pronoun to express possession. "Een" means "a" and "drie" means "three."

Using "have" in Past Tense

In Dutch, to talk about actions that have already taken place, we use the past tense of "have" or "hebben." The table below shows the conjugation of "have" in the past tense:

Personal pronoun	Conjugation
Ik (I)	had
Jij/u (You)	had
Hij/Zij/Het (He/She/It)	had
Wij (We)	hadden
Jullie (You all)	hadden
Zij (They)	hadden

Let's see some examples:

• Ik had gisteren les. (I had a lesson yesterday.)
• Zij had veel geluk vandaag. (She had a lot of luck today.)
• Wij hadden een feestje. (We had a party.)

Notice that we used "had" to indicate that the action happened in the past. In Dutch, the past tense of "have" is also used to talk about events and experiences that have taken place in the past.

Using "have" in Imperative Mood

In Dutch, "have" or "hebben" is also used in the imperative mood to give commands or directions. The table below shows the imperative forms of "have" in Dutch:

Personal pronoun	Imperative
Jij/u (You)	heb/hebt
Wij (We)	hebben
Jullie (You all)	hebben

Let's see some examples:

• Heb geduld! (Be patient!)
• Heb geen angst. (Don't be afraid.)
• Laten we plezier hebben! (Let's have fun!)

Notice that we used "heb" for the singular (Jij/u) and "hebben" for the plural (Wij/Jullie). "Latent we" means "Let's."

Dialogue

To better understand how to use "have" in different contexts, let's have a short dialogue:

• Person 1: Heb je mijn boek? (Do you have my book?)
• Person 2: Ja, ik heb jouw boek. (Yes, I have your book.)
• Person 1: Wanneer heb je dat gekocht? (When did you buy that?)
• Person 2: Vorige week heb ik het gekocht. (I bought it last week.)

Notice in the above dialogue that Person 1 is using "heb" to ask if Person 2 has their book. Person 2 responds with "ja, ik heb" to indicate possession. Person 1 then asks about the time frame ("wanneer") and Person 2 responds with "vorige week heb ik het gekocht."

Practice Exercises

Now that we have learned how to use "have" in different contexts, let's practice using it with some exercises.

1. Conjugate "hebben" in the present tense for "zij." (Answer: heeft) 2. Use "hebben" to form a perfect tense with "maken." (Answer: Ik heb gemaakt.) 3. Translate: "I had a car." (Answer: Ik had een auto.) 4. Give an imperative command with "heb" to tell someone to "listen." (Answer: Heb aandacht!)

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