Ontdek de onvoltooid verleden tijd van onregelmatige werkwoorden zoals zijn (was), gaan (ging) en doen (deed) en leer hoe je deze klankveranderingen correct gebruikt in dagelijkse gesprekken.
  1. Some common verbs have an irregular form in the onvoltooid verleden tijd.
  2. These verbs do not follow fixed regular patterns like most verbs with -de/-te in the past tense.
InfinitiefVerleden tijdInfinitief (Infinitive)Verleden tijd (past tense)
zijn (to be)was, warenkunnen (can)kon, konden
hebben (to have)had, haddenmoeten (must)moest, moesten
doen (do)deed, dedenmogen (may)mocht, mochten
gaan (to go)ging, gingenbrengen (to bring)bracht, brachten
zien (see)zag, zagenkopen (to buy)kocht, kochten
zeggen (say)zei, zeidenzoeken (search)zocht, zochten
vragen (to ask)vroeg, vroegenstaan (stand)stond, stonden
denken (to think)dacht, dachtenzullen (shall)zou, zouden

Exercise 1: Onvoltooid verleden tijd: onregelmatige werkwoorden

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

hadden, dacht, was, vroeg, gingen, zouden, deed

1. Zijn:
Ik ... altijd op tijd op school.
(I was always on time at school.)
2. Hebben:
Wij ... veel huiswerk in de middelbare school.
(We had a lot of homework in secondary school.)
3. Doen:
Ze ... altijd haar best om goede cijfers te halen.
(She always did her best to get good grades.)
4. Gaan:
We ... samen naar de basisschool.
(We went to primary school together.)
5. Denken:
Ik ... aan mijn kindertijd.
(I thought about my childhood.)
6. Zijn:
Ik ... vaak te laat in het klaslokaal.
(I was often late to the classroom.)
7. Vragen:
Ik ... hoe ik me kon inschrijven voor de middelbare school.
(I asked how I could enrol for secondary school.)
8. Zullen:
Ze ... meer interessante lessen geven dit jaar.
(They would give more interesting lessons this year.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct sentence in the simple past tense (ovt) with irregular verbs, as used in daily conversations about school and work.

1.
'Gaan' is the infinitive and not correct as past tense.
'Ga' is the present tense, while the past tense is needed here.
2.
'Doen' is the infinitive; the past tense is missing here.
'Doet' is present tense, while the past tense is required.
3.
'Hebben' is present tense, while the past tense is required.
'Had' is singular form and not correct with 'we'.
4.
'Zienden' does not exist as past tense of 'zien'.
'Zag' is singular form and doesn't match 'zij' as plural.

Understanding the Simple Past Tense: Irregular Verbs in Dutch

This lesson focuses on the onvoltooid verleden tijd, or simple past tense, specifically for irregular verbs in Dutch. Unlike regular verbs that form the past tense with predictable endings like -de or -te, irregular verbs often change their stem vowel or form entirely. Mastering these irregular forms is essential for everyday communication, especially in conversations about past events.

Key Irregular Verbs and Their Past Tense Forms

Common irregular verbs you will encounter include:

  • zijn (to be) - was, waren
  • hebben (to have) - had, hadden
  • gaan (to go) - ging, gingen
  • doen (to do) - deed, deden
  • kunnen (can) - kon, konden
  • moeten (must) - moest, moesten
  • mogen (may) - mocht, mochten
  • brengen (to bring) - bracht, brachten
  • zien (to see) - zag, zagen
  • zeggen (to say) - zei, zeiden
  • vragen (to ask) - vroeg, vroegen
  • denken (to think) - dacht, dachten
  • zoeken (to search) - zocht, zochten
  • staan (to stand) - stond, stonden
  • zullen (shall/will) - zou, zouden

Highlights

Irregular verbs do not follow the general past tense rules and often involve vowel changes (e.g., zijn to was, hebben to had). Pay special attention to singular and plural forms, as these can also vary.

Differences Between English and Dutch Past Tense Usage

English often adds -ed to form the past tense or uses auxiliary verbs like "did" or "was." Dutch, however, uses different stem changes for many verbs rather than a uniform ending. For example, the English verb "go" becomes "went" in past tense, while Dutch "gaan" changes to "ging." Recognizing these patterns improves your ability to understand and communicate past events accurately.

Useful Phrases

  • Ik ging gisteren naar de vergadering. - I went to the meeting yesterday.
  • Hij deed zijn huiswerk goed vorige week. - He did his homework well last week.
  • We hadden een interessante les gisteren. - We had an interesting lesson yesterday.
  • Zij zagen veel tijdens het schooluitje. - They saw a lot during the school trip.

Practicing these phrases will help you apply irregular verbs correctly in daily conversations about school, work, or other past activities.

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

Profile Picture

Kato De Paepe

Business and languages

KdG University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp

University_Logo

Last Updated:

Monday, 01/09/2025 01:57