Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

This lesson covers the formation and usage of the Dutch past participle combined with auxiliary verbs "hebben" and "zijn" to express completed actions. It explains the general rules for adding prefixes and suffixes, when to use "hebben" or "zijn", and discusses exceptions including irregular verbs. Examples and common phrases illustrate proper use, vital for mastering the perfect tense in Dutch.
  1. Formula: Person + hebben/zijn + voltooid deelwoord
  2. Use of 'hebben' and 'zijn': 'Zijn' with movement/change, 'hebben' for other verbs.
Vorming voltooid deelwoord (Formation of the past participle)Type werkwoord (Type of verb)Voorbeeld (Example)
Ge + stam + dAlgemene regel (General rule)Ik ben verhuisd (I have moved)
Wij hebben gewoond (We have lived)
Ge + stam + tWerkwoorden met een stam die eindigt op -t, -k, -f, -s, -c, -h, -p (Verbs with a stem ending in -t, -k, -f, -s, -c, -h, -p)Jij hebt gekookt (You have cooked)
Zij heeft gewacht (She has waited)
Stam + t/dWerkwoorden die beginnen met be-, er-, ge-, her- mis-, ont-, ver- (Verbs that begin with be-, er-, ge-, her-, mis-, ont-, ver-)Ik heb gebruikt (I have used)
Het is veranderd (It has changed)

Exceptions!

  1. Some verbs have an irregular past participle, such as geweest.
  2. If the stem of the verb ends with one of the consonants in the word softketchup (s, f, t, k, ch, p), the past participle gets a -t; otherwise, it gets a -d.

Exercise 1: Het voltooid deelwoord met hebben/zijn

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

is, hebt, gebouwd, geleend, heb, zijn, gewacht, gesport, verstuurd, hebben, gepland, heeft, geopend, gegaan

1. Lenen:
Ik ... een boek van de bibliotheek ....
(I borrowed a book from the library.)
2. Gaan:
Wij ... naar het ziekenhuis ....
(We have gone to the hospital.)
3. Bouwen:
De school ... naast de bibliotheek ....
(The school is built next to the library.)
4. Wachten:
Zij ... lang op de bus ....
(They have waited a long time for the bus.)
5. Openen:
Het postkantoor ... om acht uur ....
(The post office opens at eight o'clock.)
6. Plannen:
Hij ... een afspraak in het ziekenhuis ....
(He has scheduled an appointment at the hospital.)
7. Sporten:
Jij ... gisteren in de sportschool ....
(You exercised at the gym yesterday.)
8. Versturen:
Ik ... een brief ... bij het postkantoor.
(I have sent a letter at the post office.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ik ______ gisteren tot laat in het kantoor gewerkt.

(I ______ worked late at the office yesterday.)

2. Zij ______ vroeg naar huis gelopen omdat ze moe was.

(She ______ walked home early because she was tired.)

3. Wij ______ de brochure bij de dienst Toerisme opgehaald.

(We ______ picked up the brochure at the Tourism department.)

4. Hij ______ vorig jaar voor zijn werk naar Amsterdam verhuisd.

(He ______ moved to Amsterdam for his work last year.)

5. Jullie ______ bij de balie de openingstijden van het museum gevraagd.

(You ______ asked for the opening hours of the museum at the counter.)

6. De bus ______ laat bij het station aangekomen.

(The bus ______ arrived late at the station.)

Understanding the Past Participle with "Hebben" and "Zijn" in Dutch

This lesson focuses on mastering the formation and usage of the past participle combined with the auxiliary verbs "hebben" (to have) and "zijn" (to be). These are essential to build the perfect tense in Dutch, which describes completed actions.

The Basics of Past Participle Formation

The general rule for forming the past participle is to add ge- at the beginning followed by the stem and a suitable ending:

  • ge + stem + d: standard form for most verbs. Example: "gewond" (wounded), "verhuisd" (moved).
  • ge + stem + t: verbs whose stem ends with certain consonants - t, k, f, s, c, h, p (memorized by the word softketchup). Example: "gekookt" (cooked), "gewacht" (waited).
  • Stem + t/d: verbs starting with prefixes such as be-, er-, ge-, her-, mis-, ont-, ver- do not take the ge- prefix. Example: "gebruikt" (used), "veranderd" (changed).

Using "Hebben" and "Zijn"

The past participle is always used with either "hebben" or "zijn" to form the perfect tense.

  • Zijn is used primarily with verbs indicating movement or change of state, such as "lopen" (to walk) or "verhuizen" (to move).
  • Hebben is used with most other verbs, especially those expressing actions without movement.

Example sentences include: "Ik ben verhuisd" (I have moved) and "Wij hebben gewoond" (We have lived).

Important Exceptions and Irregularities

Some verbs have irregular past participles, such as "geweest" (been), which must be memorized separately.

Comparing Dutch and English Verb Forms

In English, the perfect tense uses "have" with a past participle (e.g., "I have worked"), whereas Dutch adds complexity by sometimes using "zijn" instead of "hebben". Recognizing which verb takes which auxiliary verb is crucial for correct sentence construction. A useful tip is that "zijn" generally accompanies verbs that imply movement or a change in condition.

Useful phrases include:

  • "Ik heb gewerkt" - I have worked
  • "Zij is gelopen" - She has walked
  • "Wij hebben gevraagd" - We have asked
  • "De bus is aangekomen" - The bus has arrived

Understanding these patterns will greatly improve your Dutch communication skills, especially in describing past events clearly and accurately.

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Kato De Paepe

Business and languages

KdG University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 29/05/2025 16:33