Spelling verandert in de verleden tijd bij werkwoorden zoals reizen, hoeven, bakken, slagen.

(Spelling changes in the past tense with verbs such as reizen, hoeven, bakken, slagen.)

  1. 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.
  2. If the stem ends with an -s, but the entire verb ends with -zen, then -den can be added. For example: reizen → reisde(n).
  3. 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).
  4. 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.
  5. If the stem ends in two consonants that are the same, remove one of them. For example: bakken → bakte
 Reizen (Travel)Leven (Live)Klagen (Complain)Bakken (Bake)
ikreisdeleefdeklaagdebakte
jij, jereisdeleefdeklaagdebakte
hij, zij, hetreisdeleefdeklaagdebakte
wij, wereisdenleefdenklaagdenbakten
julliereisdenleefdenklaagdenbakten
zij, zereisdenleefdenklaagdenbakten

Exercise 1: Onvoltooid verleden tijd: regelmatige werkwoorden met klankverandering

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

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 travelled 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 grabbed 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 responded happily to the news.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct past tense of the verb in each sentence.

1.
Incorrect verb form and word order: "we travelled about the strike on the news" is unnatural; "travel about the news" is meaningless.
Spelling variant: in British English the preferred spelling is "travelled," while "traveled" is the American variant; the exercise expects the British form.
2.
Incorrect contraction/wording: it should be "had to," or "didn't have to" for the negative.
Incorrect past tense: "haved" is not a valid form; use "had to."
3.
Spelling error in the past tense: the correct form is "complained."
Incorrect form: the past tense for "complain" is "complained," not this variant.
4.
Incorrect doubling of the consonant in the past tense; the correct form is "baked."
Subject mismatch and wording: if the subject is "she," the correct past form is "she baked;" "they baked live bread" changes both subject and nuance.

Exercise 3: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite the sentences in the simple past tense (OVT). Pay attention to the correct spelling of the verbs (for example: reizen, leven, klagen, bakken, slagen, hoeven).

Show/Hide translation Show/Hide hints
  1. Ik reis elke dag met de trein naar mijn werk.
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    Ik reisde elke dag met de trein naar mijn werk.
    (I traveled by train to work every day.)
  2. Hint Hint (gisteren) Wij leven nu gezond en eten veel groente en fruit.
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    Wij leefden gezond en aten veel groente en fruit.
    (We lived healthily and ate plenty of vegetables and fruit.)
  3. De buurman klaagt elke avond over het lawaai in de straat.
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    De buurman klaagde elke avond over het lawaai in de straat.
    (The neighbor complained every evening about the noise in the street.)
  4. De bakker bakt op zondag altijd vers brood voor de buurt.
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    De bakker bakte op zondag altijd vers brood voor de buurt.
    (The baker always baked fresh bread for the neighborhood on Sundays.)
  5. Hint Hint (gisteren) Jullie hoeven vandaag niet te werken, het kantoor is dicht.
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    Jullie hoefden gisteren niet te werken; het kantoor was dicht.
    (You didn't have to work yesterday; the office was closed.)
  6. Ik slaag elk jaar voor al mijn cursussen Nederlands.
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    Ik slaagde elk jaar voor al mijn cursussen Nederlands.
    (I passed all my Dutch courses every year.)

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Kato De Paepe

Business and languages

KdG University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp

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Last Updated:

Saturday, 10/01/2026 02:08