Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

This lesson explains how to use past participles as adjectives in Dutch, showing the correct endings like '+e' in phrases such as 'de bestelde taart' (the ordered cake) and 'het geboekte hotel' (the booked hotel). You'll learn to adapt participles like 'gereserveerde' (reserved) and 'gedroogde' (dried) depending on the article and number.
  1. Attributive past participles are declined like other adjectives.
  2. Use of double -t or -d depending on the stem.
 LidwoordRegelVoorbeeld (Example)
Enkelvoudde
het
+e
+e
De bestelde taart (The ordered cake)
Het geboekte hotel (The booked hotel)
Meervoudde+eDe bereide gerechten (The prepared dishes)
Met 'een'bij de-woord
bij het-woord
+e
-
een gereserveerde tafel (a reserved table)
een geleend boek (a borrowed book)

Exercise 1: Voltooide deelwoorden als bijvoeglijk naamwoord

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

geserveerde, bestelde, gedronken, gekookte, geboekte, geplande, gekozen, bereide

1. Plannen:
De ... reservering is bevestigd.
(The planned reservation has been confirmed.)
2. Drinken:
De ... koffie was te sterk.
(The coffee that was drunk was too strong.)
3. Kiezen:
Het ... hoofdgerecht was niet lekker.
(The chosen main course was not tasty.)
4. Bestellen:
De ... taart is heerlijk.
(The ordered cake is delicious.)
5. Boeken:
De ... tafel in het restaurant wordt voor ons klaargemaakt.
(The booked table in the restaurant is being prepared for us.)
6. Koken:
Het ... gerecht is klaar om te eten.
(The cooked dish is ready to eat.)
7. Bereiden:
De ... gerechten zijn lekker.
(The prepared dishes are tasty.)
8. Serveren:
Het ... drankje was koud.
(The served drink was cold.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ik wil graag de _______ tafel voor twee personen.

(I would like the _______ table for two people.)

2. De _______ gerechten staan al op tafel.

(The _______ dishes are already on the table.)

3. Kun je het _______ fruit op de menukaart aanwijzen?

(Can you point to the _______ fruit on the menu?)

4. Ik wil graag het _______ zalmvoorgerecht proberen.

(I would like to try the _______ salmon appetizer.)

5. We hebben de _______ tafel om zeven uur.

(We have the _______ table at seven o'clock.)

6. De _______ bestelformulieren liggen bij de bar.

(The _______ order forms are by the bar.)

Understanding Past Participles as Adjectives in Dutch

This lesson focuses on how to use past participles as adjectives in Dutch, a key grammar point for describing nouns with actions that have already been completed. You will learn how these past participles behave similarly to regular adjectives when they describe a noun.

What You Will Learn

  • How to modify past participles based on the definite article ("de", "het") and number (singular/plural).
  • The proper adjective endings for different noun genders and quantities.
  • Examples such as "De bestelde taart" (The ordered cake) and "Het geboekte hotel" (The booked hotel) demonstrate usage.

Forming Adjectives from Past Participles

Past participles are used as adjectives by adding endings similar to other adjectives:

  • Singular nouns with definite articles (de/het): add -e, e.g., De bestelde taart, Het geboekte hotel.
  • Plural nouns with definite article de: add -e, e.g., De bereide gerechten.
  • Indefinite article ‘een’: for de-words add -e, for het-words no ending is added, e.g., een gereserveerde tafel, een geleend boek.

Key Points to Remember

  • Past participles agree in form with the noun they describe, following adjective declension rules.
  • Double consonants such as -tt or -dd may appear depending on the verb stem.
  • These participles can describe completed actions related to the noun, e.g., "gedweilde vloer" (mopped floor).

Comparing Dutch and English

English often uses past participles directly as adjectives without changing form ("ordered cake", "booked hotel"). In Dutch, adjective endings change based on the noun's gender, number, and article. For learners, it's important to notice these endings to use past participles correctly in descriptive phrases.

Useful Dutch adjective endings include:

  • -e after definite articles and plural nouns
  • No ending after het-words with indefinite articles

Remember, the concept is similar, but Dutch grammar requires adapting the participle to fit the noun’s grammatical context.

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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 19:29