Learn how to form the past simple tense (onvoltooid verleden tijd) of regular Dutch verbs with sound changes, such as reizen (reisde), leven (leefde), klagen (klaagde), and bakken (bakte). This lesson explains spelling adjustments like vowel shifts and consonant changes for A2 learners.
- There are regular verbs that undergo a sound change in the simple past tense (OVT) due to the rules of the sound shift, but they are still conjugated regularly.
- If the stem ends with an -s, but the entire verb ends with -zen, then -den can be added. For example: reizen → reisde(n).
- If the stem ends with an -f, but the entire verb ends with -ven, you can add -den at the end. For example: leven → leefde(n).
- If there is a consonant at the end of the stem and there is a vowel at the end of the syllable in the stem, then we change the vowel. For example: klagen → klaagde.
- If the stem ends in two consonants that are the same, remove one of them. For example: bakken → bakte
| Reizen (To travel) | Leven (to live) | Klagen (to complain) | Bakken (to bake) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ik | reisde | leefde | klaagde | bakte |
| jij, je | reisde | leefde | klaagde | bakte |
| hij, zij, het | reisde | leefde | klaagde | bakte |
| wij, we | reisden | leefden | klaagden | bakten |
| jullie | reisden | leefden | klaagden | bakten |
| zij, ze | reisden | leefden | klaagden | bakten |
Exercise 1: Onvoltooid verleden tijd: regelmatige werkwoorden met klankverandering
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
verhuisde, reisde, hoefde, pakte, vreesde, stopte, slaagde
1.
Stoppen:
Het programma ... zonder reden met spelen.
(The programme stopped playing for no reason.)
2.
Reizen:
De presentatrice ... naar de stad voor een reportage.
(The presenter traveled to the city for a report.)
3.
Vrezen:
Iedereen ... het ergste na het horen van het slechte nieuws.
(Everyone feared the worst after hearing the bad news.)
4.
Pakken:
Hij ... snel het verslag van de tafel.
(He quickly took the report from the table.)
5.
Verhuizen:
De presentatrice ... naar de stad voor haar job.
(The presenter moved to the city for her job.)
6.
Hoeven:
De presentator ... niet lang te presenteren.
(The presenter did not have to present for long.)
7.
Slagen:
Zij ... voor het examen en reageerde blij op het nieuws.
(She passed the exam and reacted happily to the news.)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct sentence in the simple past tense (OVT) with regular verbs that undergo a sound change. Pay close attention to the spelling and sound changes for verbs like 'reizen' (to travel), 'leven' (to live), 'klagen' (to complain) and 'bakken' (to bake).
1.
'Reezen' is incorrect; the past tense of 'reizen' is 'reisde', without sound change.
The verb form is incorrect; with 'I' we use 'reisde' and not 'reisden'.
2.
'Levden' is misspelled; it should be 'leefde' because of the sound change and regular conjugation.
Here the verb form is wrong; 'she' singular gets 'leefde', not 'leefden'.
3.
'Klaagden' is plural; for 'he' the singular form 'klaagde' is needed.
This sentence uses the wrong form; it should be 'klaagde' in the past tense.
4.
The verb form is incorrect; for 'we' the correct form is 'bakten'.
Double consonants are not preserved; 'bakkten' is wrong, it should be 'bakten'.
