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

This lesson explains the onvoltooid verleden tijd of zwakke werkwoorden like werken (werkte), voelen (voelde), wachten (wachtte), and openen (opende). Learn to form simple past tense endings -te(n) or -de(n) based on verb stem rules for singular and plural.
  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 simple 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 1st person is 'werkte' with one 't'.
Incorrect ending '-de'. The stem ends with a soft consonant 'k', so you use '-te': 'werkte'.
2.
The stem does not end with a soft consonant, so no '-ten' but '-den' in plural: 'voelden' is correct.
Incorrect 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, or simple past tense, specifically for weak verbs. Weak verbs form their past tense by adding specific endings to the verb stem, making it essential to recognize these patterns for accurate communication about past events.

Formation of the Simple Past Tense

To form the simple past tense of weak verbs in Dutch, you add -te(n) or -de(n) to the stem of the verb. For example:

  • werken (to work) becomes werkte, werkten
  • voelen (to feel) becomes voelde, voelden
  • wachten (to wait) becomes wachtte, wachtten
  • openen (to open) becomes opende, openden

Usage of the Simple Past Tense

  • Describes a past action or event. Example: Ik werkte gisteren aan het dossier. (I worked on the file yesterday.)
  • Used to narrate a sequence of actions that happened one after another.
  • Expresses habits or actions that used to happen regularly in the past.

Key Spelling Rules

The choice between -te(n) and -de(n) endings depends on the final consonant of the stem:

  • If the stem ends with a consonant in the group sometimes noted as softketchup (a mnemonic for the consonants t, k, ch, p, f), use -te(n).
  • If the stem ends with any other consonant, use -de(n).
  • For singular forms, add -te or -de.
  • For plural forms, add -ten or -den.

Examples in Singular and Plural

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

Comparing Dutch Past Tense Use with English

Unlike English, which frequently uses the auxiliary verb "did" in past tense questions and negatives, Dutch forms the past tense by simple morphological changes to the verb itself without auxiliary verbs. For example:

  • English: I worked – Did you work?
  • Dutch: Ik werkte – Werkte je?

It's important to learn the different verb endings and pronunciation rules, since Dutch uses these closely to convey time and grammatical number.

Useful Phrases and Their Translations

  • Ik werkte gisteren aan het dossier. – I worked on the file yesterday.
  • Wij voelden het probleem duidelijk aan. – We clearly felt the problem.
  • Hij wachtte op de documenten. – He waited for the documents.
  • Jullie openden het formulier na het gesprek. – You opened the form after the conversation.

Mastering these forms will enable you to describe past activities accurately and improve both your written and spoken Dutch proficiency.

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 02:29