Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

This lesson covers essential Dutch irregular verbs like zijn (to be), hebben (to have), gaan (to go), and zullen (shall/will), teaching their present tense forms and common uses such as expressing future actions and making proposals.
  1. 'Zijn' and 'hebben' are the most commonly used auxiliary verbs.
  2. 'Gaan' is used for future actions with an infinitive.
  3. 'Zullen' expresses a promise, proposal or future.
Werkwoord (Verb)Ik (I)Jij/u (You)Hij/zij/het (He/she/it)Wij/jullie/zij (We/you/they)
Zijn (To be)benbentiszijn
Hebben (to have)hebhebtheefthebben
Gaan (to go)gagaatgaatgaan
Zullen (shall)zalzalzalzullen

Exercise 1: Veel gebruikte onregelmatige werkwoorden

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

gaat, zullen, heeft, is, ga, ben, heb

1. Gaan:
Hij ... op blote voeten door het zand.
(He walks barefoot through the sand.)
2. Hebben:
Zij ... een armband om haar arm.
(She has a bracelet on her arm.)
3. Zullen:
Morgen ... we naar het strand gaan.
(Tomorrow we will go to the beach.)
4. Hebben:
Ik ... pijn in mijn buik na het eten.
(I have pain in my stomach after eating.)
5. Zijn:
Hij ... moe en legt zijn hoofd op het kussen.
(He is tired and lays his head on the pillow.)
6. Gaan:
Het ... goed met mijn gezondheid.
(My health is doing well.)
7. Zijn:
Ik ... blij met mijn lange haar.
(I am happy with my long hair.)
8. Gaan:
Ik ... naar de dokter omdat mijn vinger pijn doet.
(I am going to the doctor because my finger hurts.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ik ___ moe vandaag, omdat ik vanmorgen vroeg ben opgestaan.

(I ___ tired today because I got up early this morning.)

2. Jij ___ naar de dokter omdat je hoofdpijn hebt.

(You ___ going to the doctor because you have a headache.)

3. Hij ___ last van zijn knie na het sporten.

(He ___ pain in his knee after exercising.)

4. Wij ___ morgen naar het ziekenhuis gaan voor controle.

(We ___ go to the hospital tomorrow for a check-up.)

5. ___ jij vandaag naar de fysiotherapeut geweest?

(___ you been to the physiotherapist today?)

6. ___ we een afspraak maken om je rug te laten onderzoeken?

(___ we make an appointment to have your back examined?)

Overview of Common Irregular Verbs in Dutch

This lesson focuses on some of the most frequently used irregular verbs in Dutch, essential for building foundational communication skills. Understanding these verbs and their conjugations is key to forming correct sentences in everyday conversations.

Key Verbs Covered

  • Zijn (to be) - An essential verb used to describe states and identities.
  • Hebben (to have) - Commonly used as an auxiliary verb and to express possession.
  • Gaan (to go) - Used for describing movement and to indicate future actions.
  • Zullen (shall/will) - Expresses promises, proposals, or future intentions.

Conjugation Patterns

These verbs are irregular, meaning they don’t always follow standard conjugation rules. The lesson presents their forms across different subjects such as "ik" (I), "jij/u" (you singular), "hij/zij/het" (he/she/it), and "wij/jullie/zij" (we/you all/they).

VerbIkJij/UHij/Zij/HetWij/Jullie/Zij
Zijnbenbentiszijn
Hebbenhebhebtheefthebben
Gaangagaatgaatgaan
Zullenzalzalzalzullen

Usage Highlights

  • Zijn and hebben are the most commonly used auxiliary verbs in Dutch and are crucial in forming various tenses.
  • Gaan is often combined with an infinitive verb to express future actions, similar to "going to" in English.
  • Zullen conveys promises or proposals and is used to discuss future intentions.

Important Notes on Language Differences

Unlike English, Dutch irregular verbs often change forms significantly between subjects in the present tense. For instance, zijn becomes ben for "I" but is for "he/she/it". English uses "to be" consistently as "am/is/are" but conjugation endings are less variable than in Dutch. Additionally, the auxiliary verbs hebben and zijn are essential in Dutch compound tenses, while English auxiliary use depends on the tense and voice.

Useful phrases to remember include:
Ik ben moe – I am tired.
Jij gaat naar huis – You are going home.
Hij heeft tijd – He has time.
Wij zullen helpen – We will help.

Focusing on these verbs will help learners form accurate sentences and understand everyday Dutch conversations better.

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This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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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, 17/07/2025 19:12