Leer hoe je met de onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd beleefde wensen, suggesties en wensen uitdrukt met zinnen als 'Ik zou graag samenwonen' en 'Je zou aan de toekomst moeten denken'.
  1. Use zouden/zou + infinitive for polite wishes and suggestions.
  2. To express politeness and a wish, you add the word 'graag'.
 Voorbeeld
Wens (Wish)Ik zou graag met mijn partner willen samenwonen. (I would like to live together with my partner.)
Beleefdheid (Politeness)Ik zou graag binnenkort een gezin willen stichten. (I would like to start a family soon.)
Suggestie (Suggestion)Je zou aan de toekomst moeten denken. (You should think about the future.)

Exercise 1: Wensen, beleefdheid en suggesties met onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

zou, Zou, zouden

1.
Ik ... graag willen reizen voordat ik een gezin sticht.
(I would like to travel before I start a family.)
2.
Ik ... graag een gezin stichten in de toekomst.
(I would like to start a family in the future.)
3.
... jij mij kunnen bellen morgenavond?
(Could you call me tomorrow evening?)
4.
Wij ... willen verhuizen naar een groter huis.
(We would like to move to a bigger house.)
5.
We ... een huisdier kunnen nemen?
(We could get a pet?)
6.
Hij ... willen trouwen volgend jaar in de zomer.
(He would like to get married next year in the summer.)
7.
... je willen samenwonen met je partner?
(Would you like to live together with your partner?)
8.
Zij ... graag een relatie beginnen dit jaar.
(She would like to start a relationship this year.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct sentence in which the past future tense is correctly used to express wishes, politeness, or suggestions.

1.
The word order is incorrect; 'want' and 'like' are misplaced, and 'live' is incorrectly conjugated.
Here, 'work overtime' is not appropriate in the context; moreover, the exercise focuses on polite wishes or suggestions within family or future plans.
2.
'Have to' is not the correct infinitive here; it must be 'have to'.
The placement of 'have to' is not correct; the correct order is 'would have to think about the future'.
3.
The word order is not correct; 'want' is misplaced; it should be at the end.
The order 'I like would' is incorrect; the correct order is 'I would like'.
4.
The placement of 'a bit more quietly' is wrong; it should be an adverbial directly after the verb.
The order 'be able to' is incorrect; it should be 'speak a bit more quietly'.

Expressing Wishes, Politeness, and Suggestions with the Onvoltooid Verleden Toekomende Tijd

This lesson introduces an important Dutch verb tense called the onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd, which allows you to express wishes, politeness, and suggestions in a soft and respectful way. The focus is on how to use zou/zouden combined with an infinitive verb, often accompanied by the word graag to convey politely stated desires or preferences.

What You Will Learn

  • How to form polite wishes using zou graag + infinitive.
  • How to make polite suggestions with zou + infinitive.
  • Common expressions to sound more refined and respectful in conversation.

Key Examples

PurposeExample
WishesIk zou graag met mijn partner willen samenwonen.
PolitenessIk zou graag binnenkort een gezin willen stichten.
SuggestionsJe zou aan de toekomst moeten denken.

Usage Highlights

  • The modal verbs zou (singular) and zouden (plural) are used with an infinitive to express polite requests or hypothetical ideas.
  • Adding graag emphasizes a wish or polite desire, similar to "I would like" in English.
  • Suggestions can be softened by using zou plus an infinitive phrase, which is less direct and friendlier.

Comparing Dutch Politeness with English

In Dutch, the onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd (literally ”imperfect future tense”) is used frequently for polite expressions, which differs from English where we often use modal verbs like "would" or "could" directly without a special tense. For instance, Dutch uses ik zou graag + infinitive to mean "I would like to..." which is structurally similar but arises from a different grammatical form. Also, including graag (meaning "gladly" or "with pleasure") enhances politeness, an element less explicitly expressed in English.

Useful Words and Phrases

  • zou - would (singular, polite conditional)
  • zouden - would (plural)
  • graag - gladly, would like to (used to express wishes politely)
  • moeten - must, should (used here in suggestions)

Mastering these structures will help you communicate your desires, polite requests, and gentle advice naturally in Dutch.

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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:

Monday, 01/09/2025 09:11