10K+ students - 4.8/5
Learn with a teacher Learning materials included Practise conversation

Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn the onvoltooid verleden tijd of zwakke werkwoorden like werkte, voelde, wachtte, and opende, focusing on correct stem endings and singular or plural forms for everyday past actions.
  1. You use the onvoltooid verleden tijd to describe something
  2. You use the onvoltooid verleden tijd for actions that have taken place one after the other.
  3. You use the onvoltooid verleden tijd when something happened frequently in the past or was a habit.
  4. Does the stem end in softketchup? Add -te(n).
  5. No softketchup? Add -de(n).
  6. Singular = -te or -de
  7. Plural = -ten or -den.
 Werken (To work)Voelen (to feel)Wachten (to wait)Openen (to open)
ikwerktevoeldewachtteopende
jij, jewerktevoeldewachtteopende
hij, zij, hetwerktevoeldewachtteopende
wij, wewerktenvoeldenwachttenopenden
julliewerktenvoeldenwachttenopenden
zij, zewerktenvoeldenwachttenopenden

Exercise 1: Onvoltooid verleden tijd: zwakke werkwoorden

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

wandelde, huurden, maakte, bevestigde, probeerde, meldde, leerde, wachtte

1. Proberen:
De ambtenaar ... wakker te blijven tijdens de vergadering.
(The civil servant tried to stay awake during the meeting.)
2. Maken:
De ambtenaar ... een kopie van mijn paspoort.
(The civil servant made a copy of my passport.)
3. Bevestigen:
Ik ... mijn afspraak via de telefoon.
(I confirmed my appointment by phone.)
4. Wandelen:
Hij ... naar het stadhuis voor zijn afspraak.
(He walked to the town hall for his appointment.)
5. Wachten:
Mijn moeder ... een uur op de afspraak.
(My mother waited an hour for the appointment.)
6. Huren:
Wij ... een woning via een officieel formulier.
(We rented a house using an official form.)
7. Melden:
Ik ... mijn nieuwe baan bij de gemeente.
(I reported my new job to the municipality.)
8. Leren:
De student ... veel over sociale zekerheid.
(The student learned a lot about social security.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct sentence in the imperfect past tense of weak verbs. Pay close attention to the stem and the correct ending (-te/-ten or -de/-den) for singular and plural.

1.
Double 't' is wrong. Singular first person is 'werkte' with only one 't'.
Incorrect ending '-de'. The stem ends in a soft consonant 'k', so you use '-te': 'werkte'.
2.
The stem does not end in a soft consonant, so not '-ten' but '-den' in plural: 'voelden' is correct.
Wrong letter order and ending. Correct is 'voelden' without extra letters.
3.
The sentence is grammatically correct, but the placement of 'not' is unusual and makes the sentence less natural.
Double 'd' is not correct. The correct ending is '-te' with a stem ending in 't'.
4.
Incorrect ending and letter order. Correct is 'openden' for plural.
Wrong order of letters. The correct form is 'openden'.

Understanding the Simple Past Tense: Weak Verbs in Dutch

This lesson focuses on the onvoltooid verleden tijd (simple past tense) for weak verbs in Dutch. It explains how to form and use this tense, which is essential for talking about past actions or habits in everyday conversation.

How to Form the Simple Past of Weak Verbs

To form the simple past tense of weak verbs, you combine the verb stem with specific endings: -te(n) or -de(n). For example: werkte (worked), maakte (made).

  • If the verb stem ends with a sound from the group of 'soft consonants' (remember the mnemonic softketchup), add -te(n).
  • If the stem does not end with a soft consonant, add -de(n).
  • Use the singular endings -te or -de for 'ik' (I), 'jij' (you), 'hij/zij/het' (he/she/it).
  • Use the plural endings -ten or -den for 'wij', 'jullie', and 'zij' (we, you all, they).

When to Use the Simple Past Tense

The simple past is used to:

  • Describe actions completed in the past.
  • Express sequences of actions that occurred one after another.
  • Talk about habits or repeated actions in the past.

Examples of Weak Verbs in the Simple Past

 WerkenVoelenWachtenOpenen
ikwerktevoeldewachtteopende
jij, jewerktevoeldewachtteopende
hij, zij, hetwerktevoeldewachtteopende
wij, wewerktenvoeldenwachttenopenden
julliewerktenvoeldenwachttenopenden
zij, zewerktenvoeldenwachttenopenden

Useful Notes for English Speakers

Unlike English, Dutch verb endings in the simple past vary depending on the final consonant of the stem. The 'soft consonants' (the famous softketchup mnemonic) determine whether to use -te(n) or -de(n). In English, past tense typically adds -ed without such distinctions.

Here are some useful Dutch phrases related to this lesson:

  • werken = to work
  • voelen = to feel
  • wachten = to wait
  • openen = to open
  • ik werkte = I worked
  • wij voelden = we felt
  • hij wachtte = he waited

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:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 16:02