The government and elections
De overheid en verkiezingen
- Get to know the basic government institutions of the country.
- Talk about elections and voting.
- Present perfect or simple past?
This lesson covers Dutch vocabulary and expressions about government and elections, focusing on key verbs in past tenses like stemmen (to vote), werken (to work), spreken (to speak), and hebben (to have). Practice discussing verkiezingen, de regering, and stemmingsuitslagen with authentic dialogues and verb conjugations.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (18) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
De koningin
The queen
2
Het parlement
The parliament
3
De (eerste) minister
The (prime) minister
4
De president
The president
5
De rechter
The judge
Oefening 2: Conversation exercise
Instructie:
- What government does your country have? (What government does your country have?)
- Does there exist a royal family in your country? (Does there exist a royal family in your country?)
- Did you go to the army? (Did you go to the army?)
- When are the elections? (When are the elections?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Op 7 juli hebben we gestemd voor een nieuwe president en regering. The 7th of july we voted for a new president and government. |
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De koning is het staatshoofd. The king is the head of the state. |
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De laatste regering bestond uit 3 politieke partijen. The last government consisted out of 3 political parties. |
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De regering wordt gecontroleerd door het parlement en rechters. The government is controlled by the parliament and judges. |
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Ik moest naar het leger net als al mijn vrienden. I had to go to the army just like all my friends. |
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Ik ging niet naar het leger maar ik werkte in plaats daarvan een jaar bij een sociale organisatie. I did not go to the army but I worked in a social organisation for a year instead. |
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De premier is veranderd sinds de laatste verkiezingen. The prime minister changed since the last elections. |
| ... |
Exercise 3: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 4: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Vorige week ___ ik voor het eerst bij de verkiezingen.
(Last week ___ I voted for the first time in the elections.)2. De eerste minister ___ gisteren op de radio over de nieuwe regels.
(The prime minister ___ on the radio yesterday about the new rules.)3. Ze ___ vorige maand in het parlement gewerkt aan een belangrijk voorstel.
(She ___ worked on an important proposal in parliament last month.)4. De burgers ___ gisteren massaal gestemd om hun stem te laten horen.
(The citizens ___ voted massively yesterday to make their voice heard.)Exercise 5: Last Year's Elections
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Stemmen - To vote
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik stemde
- jij stemde
- hij/zij stemde
- wij stemden
- jullie stemden
- zij stemden
Werken - To work
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik werkte
- jij werkte
- hij/zij werkte
- wij werkten
- jullie werkten
- zij werkten
Spreken - To talk
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik sprak
- jij sprak
- hij/zij sprak
- wij spraken
- jullie spraken
- zij spraken
Hebben - To have
Voltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- ik heb
- jij hebt
- hij/zij heeft
- wij hebben
- jullie hebben
- zij hebben
Exercise 6: Voltooid tegenwoordige tijd of onvoltooid verleden tijd?
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Present perfect or simple past?
Show translation Show answersheb gestemd, heeft gewerkt, werkte, sprak, stemde
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A2.15.2 Grammatica
Voltooid tegenwoordige tijd of onvoltooid verleden tijd?
Present perfect or simple past?
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Stemmen to vote Share Copied!
Onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) stemde | I voted |
| (jij) stemde/stemde | you voted |
| (hij/zij/het) stemde | he voted/she voted/it voted |
| (wij) stemden | we voted |
| (jullie) stemden | you voted |
| (zij) stemden | they voted |
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Lesson Overview: The Government and Elections in Dutch
This lesson introduces you to essential Dutch vocabulary and expressions related to government structures and elections, perfect for A2 learners interested in politics and civic discussions.
Key Topics Covered
- Political conversations: Practice informal dialogues about recent elections, voting experiences, and opinions.
- Government institutions: Learn about the roles of the Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives), the government, the king’s ceremonial role, and the cabinet (ministers and state secretaries).
- Election results discussions: Express your thoughts on election outcomes and the voting process.
- Verb tenses: Focus on past tenses, particularly the onvoltooid verleden tijd (simple past) and voltooid tegenwoordige tijd (present perfect), commonly used to talk about past events like voting.
Important Vocabulary and Expressions
- Stemmen – to vote (e.g., "Vorige week stemde ik voor het eerst...")
- De regering – the government, executes laws and governs the country
- De Tweede Kamer – the House of Representatives, responsible for legislation and government oversight
- De koning – the king, mostly has a ceremonial task
- Het kabinet – the cabinet, composed of ministers and state secretaries, shaping policy
Verb Conjugations in Practice
You will see conjugations of common verbs in past tenses, for example:
- Stemmen (to vote): ik stemde, wij stemden
- Werken (to work): hij werkte, wij werkten
- Spreken (to speak): zij sprak, wij spraken
- Hebben (to have) in present perfect: ik heb, wij hebben
Mini Story for Contextual Learning
Practice with this short story that uses key verbs in their correct tenses to describe election events:
"Vorige maand stemde ik voor het eerst bij de verkiezingen. De eerste minister werkte hard aan de campagne. Mijn buurman sprak over de politieke partij die hij steunde. We stemden allemaal en daarna hebben we samen de uitslag op televisie bekeken."
Note for English Speakers Learning Dutch
Unlike English, Dutch often uses two main past tenses to talk about past events: the simple past (onvoltooid verleden tijd) and the present perfect (voltooid tegenwoordige tijd). Both can describe completed actions, but their use depends on context and verb type. For example, "ik stemde" (I voted) uses simple past, while "ik heb gestemd" (I have voted) uses present perfect.
Some useful phrases:
Ben je naar het stembureau geweest? (Have you been to the polling station?)
De regering voert de wetten uit. (The government executes the laws.)
De Tweede Kamer maakt wetten. (The House of Representatives makes laws.)
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