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This lesson covers the Dutch past participle (voltooid deelwoord) formation for both weak verbs like werken (gewerkt) and maken (gemaakt), and strong verbs with vowel changes like vinden (gevonden) and helpen (geholpen). Learn to recognize patterns and exceptions, including 't kofschip rules and irregular verbs zoals zijn (geweest) en hebben (gehad).
  1. For weak verbs: ge- + stem + -d/-t.
  2. 't kofschip determines whether you write -t or -d with weak verbs.
  3. Strong verbs do not have a fixed stem and undergo a vowel change.
Categorie (Category)Infinitief (Infinitive)Voltooid deelwoord (Past participle)
Zwak (-t)

werken (to work)

maken (make)

gewerkt (worked)

gemaakt (made)

Zwak (-d)

reizen (to travel)

plannen (to plan)

gereisd (travelled)

gepland (planned)

Sterk: -en 

komen (come)

kijken (to watch)

gekomen (come)

gekeken (looked)

Sterk: klinkerverandering

vinden (find)

helpen (help)

gevonden (found)

geholpen (helped)

Sterk: medeklinkerverandering

brengen (bring)

denken (to think)

gebracht (brought)

gedacht (thought)

Onregelmatig

zijn (to be)

hebben (have)

doen (do)

geweest (been)

gehad (had)

gedaan (done)

Exercise 1: Voltooid deelwoord: sterke en zwakke werkwoorden

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

geraadpleegd, gegaan, gebruikt, gepland, gebracht, gereisd, genomen, kerk, gemaakt

1. Brengen:
Het openbaar vervoer heeft ons naar de stad ....
(The public transport has brought us to the city.)
2. Maken:
Ik heb een foto van de ... ....
(I have taken a photo of the church.)
3. Nemen:
We hebben een taxi ... naar het centrum.
(We took a taxi to the city centre.)
4. Gaan:
We zijn met de taxi snel naar het hotel ....
(We took a taxi quickly to the hotel.)
5. Raadplegen:
Hij heeft de kaart ... voor info.
(He consulted the map for information.)
6. Gebruiken:
Ze hebben het openbaar vervoer ... om naar de stad te gaan..
(They have used public transport to go to the city.)
7. Plannen:
Ze hebben hun reis goed ... met de plattegrond.
(They planned their trip well with the map.)
8. Reizen:
We zijn ... naar een drukke stad.
(We have travelled to a busy city.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose in each block the correct sentence with the past participle according to the rules for strong and weak verbs.

1.
An extra d is wrong; the past participle of 'werken' ends with -t.
The double t is wrong; the past participle of weak verbs ends with exactly one -t.
2.
A double aa does not occur in the past participle of 'gaan'.
'gedaan' is the past participle of 'doen', not of 'gaan'.
3.
'gemaaktt' contains an incorrect double t.
The missing middle letter 'e'; this is incomplete and wrong.
4.
'gevonden' is missing a letter 'e' and is therefore misspelled.
An extra t after 'gevonden' is wrong.

Understanding the Past Participle: Strong and Weak Verbs

This lesson focuses on the Dutch voltooid deelwoord, or past participle, an essential part of forming perfect tenses and expressing completed actions. You will learn how to recognize and form past participles of both weak and strong verbs in Dutch, along with their common variations and irregular forms.

Key Points About Past Participles

  • The past participle of weak verbs typically ends with -d or -t.
  • The past participle of strong verbs usually ends with -en and often involves vowel changes.
  • Weak verbs use the prefix ge- plus the stem plus -d or -t. The consonant rule from 't kofschip determines whether to use -t or -d.
  • Strong verbs do not follow a fixed stem and frequently show changes in their vowels or consonants in the past participle.

Examples of Weak Verbs and Their Past Participles

  • werken – gewerkt (worked)
  • maken – gemaakt (made)
  • reizen – gereisd (traveled)
  • plannen – gepland (planned)

Examples of Strong Verbs and Their Past Participles

  • komen – gekomen (come)
  • kijken – gekeken (looked)
  • vinden – gevonden (found)
  • helpen – geholpen (helped)
  • brengen – gebracht (brought)
  • denken – gedacht (thought)

Irregular Past Participles

Some verbs are irregular and do not fit neatly into strong or weak patterns. Examples include:

  • zijn – geweest (been)
  • hebben – gehad (had)
  • doen – gedaan (done)

Important Note on Dutch and English Differences

Unlike English, where past participles are often formed by adding -ed to the base verb, Dutch past participles split into definite categories with different endings and include rules like 't kofschip that affect spelling. Many strong verbs undergo vowel or consonant mutations in the past participle that have no direct English equivalent.

Useful words and expressions to remember:

  • Voltooid deelwoord – Past participle
  • Zwakke werkwoorden – Weak verbs
  • Sterke werkwoorden – Strong verbs
  • Klankverandering – Vowel change
  • Medeklinkerverandering – Consonant change

For example, werken (to work) forms its past participle regularly as gewerkt, similar to English "worked." However, vinden (to find) changes its vowel and becomes gevonden, which does not have a simple direct pattern in English.

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Kato De Paepe

Business and languages

KdG University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp

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Last Updated:

Friday, 18/07/2025 07:52