A2.10 - Did you hear the news?

Simple past (imperfect): regular verbs with vowel change

Onvoltooid verleden tijd: regelmatige werkwoorden met klankverandering

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

(Spelling changes in the past tense for verbs like reizen, hoeven, bakken, slagen.)

What’s special here: regular verbs, but spelling changes

These verbs are regular in the simple past (OVT): they still take -de/-den or -te/-ten.

But the spelling of the stem changes to keep the pronunciation the same.

Step-by-step: how to make the OVT form

  1. Find the stem: infinitive minus -en.
  2. Choose the ending:
    • -de / -den (most common here)
    • -te / -ten (like bakte)
  3. Apply the spelling rule (sound-friendly spelling): v→f, z→s, long vowel stays long, double consonant reduces.

1) reizen → reisde(n): z becomes s in the stem

Why? Dutch does not like a voiced z at the end of a syllable, so it becomes s in the stem.

Infinitive Stem OVT singular OVT plural
reizen reis (not reiz) reisde reisden
  • ik/jij/hij reisde
  • wij/jullie/zij reisden

Common mistake: reizde (keep the stem spelling as reis).

2) leven → leefde(n): v becomes f in the stem

Why? Dutch often changes v → f at the end of a syllable.

Infinitive Stem OVT singular OVT plural
leven leef (not lev) leefde leefden

Common mistakes: levde (forgot v→f) • leefte (wrong ending).

3) klagen → klaagde(n): keep the long vowel long

Rule: If the stem ends in an open syllable (it ends in a vowel sound), Dutch writes a double vowel to keep it long.

  • kla-gen → stem: klaag (not klag)
  • OVT: klaagde / klaagden

Common mistake: klagde (this would suggest a short vowel).

4) bakken → bakte(n): double consonant becomes single

Rule: If the stem ends with two identical consonants, you write only one before -te/-ten.

  • bak-ken → stem: bak (not bakk)
  • OVT: bakte / bakten

Common mistake: bakkte (too many k’s).

Quick self-check: can you spot what changes?

  • reizen → stem ends with s (z→s) → reisde(n)
  • leven → stem ends with f (v→f) → leefde(n)
  • klagen → long vowel stays long: aa → klaagde(n)
  • bakken → double consonant reduces: kk → k → bakte(n)

Mini checklist before you answer

  1. Is it singular (ik/jij/hij) or plural (wij/jullie/zij)? → -de vs -den, -te vs -ten
  2. Does the stem need a spelling fix? z→s, v→f, aa stays aa, kk becomes k
  3. Read it out loud: does it still sound like the infinitive?
  1. There are regular verbs that get a sound change in the simple past (OVT) because of the sound-shift rules, but they are still conjugated as regular verbs.
  2. If the stem ends in -s, but the whole verb ends in -zen, then -den is added. For example: reizen→reisde(n).
  3. If the stem ends in -f, but the whole verb ends in -ven, then -den is added. For example: leven→leefde(n).
  4. If there is a consonant at the end of the stem and 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. For example: bakken → bakte
 Reizen (to travel)Leven (to live)Klagen (to complain)Bakken (to bake)
ikreisdeleefdeklaagdebakte
jij, jereisdeleefdeklaagdebakte
hij, zij, hetreisdeleefdeklaagdebakte
wij, wereisdenleefdenklaagdenbakten
julliereisdenleefdenklaagdenbakten
zij, zereisdenleefdenklaagdenbakten

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

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1. Gisteren ____ ik met de trein naar Amsterdam om het nieuws op televisie te bekijken.

Yesterday ____ I traveled by train to Amsterdam to watch the news on television.

2. Vroeger ____ mijn opa zonder internet en luisterde hij elke avond naar het nieuws op de radio.

In the past ____ my grandpa lived without internet and listened to the news on the radio every evening.

3. Na het verslag ____ de presentator over de slechte verbinding met de zender.

After the report, ____ the presenter complained about the bad connection to the station.

4. Tijdens het programma ____ we gisteren appeltaart en lazen we ondertussen het nieuws op internet.

During the program ____ we baked apple pie yesterday and meanwhile we read the news on the internet.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Put the sentence in the simple past tense (OVT). Pay attention to the spelling of reizen (reisde/reisden), leven (leefde/leefden), klagen (klaagde/klaagden) and bakken (bakte/bakten).

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  1. Ik reis elke maand voor mijn werk naar Brussel.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Ik reisde elke maand voor mijn werk naar Brussel.
    (I traveled to Brussels every month for my work.)
  2. We leven nu in een drukke wijk, dichtbij het station.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    We leefden in een drukke wijk, dichtbij het station.
    (We lived in a busy neighborhood, close to the station.)
  3. Mijn collega klaagt vaak over de lange vergaderingen.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Mijn collega klaagde vaak over de lange vergaderingen.
    (My colleague often complained about the long meetings.)
  4. Jullie bakken op zaterdag broodjes voor het buurtfeest.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Jullie bakten op zaterdag broodjes voor het buurtfeest.
    (You baked rolls on Saturday for the neighborhood party.)

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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, 07/05/2026 22:53