Learn essential Dutch time expressions such as 'deze week', 'gisteren', 'een tijd geleden', and 'vandaag', and how to use them correctly with the right verb tenses. This lesson covers practical examples and explains how these phrases situate actions in time, helping you communicate more naturally in Dutch.
- These time expressions can be used with the past imperfect tense or the present perfect tense.
- 'Een tijd geleden' = indefinite time in the past.
| Tijdsuitdrukking (Time expression) | Voorbeeldzin (Example sentence) |
|---|---|
| deze week (this week) | We hebben deze week in het zwembad getraind. (We have trained in the swimming pool this week.) |
| gisteren (yesterday) | Ze rende gisteren een lange afstand. (She ran a long distance yesterday.) |
| een tijd geleden (some time ago) | Een tijd geleden deed ik elke dag oefeningen. (Some time ago I did exercises every day.) |
| vandaag (today) | Vandaag heb ik een krachttraining gedaan. (Today I did a strength training session.) |
Exercise 1: Tijdsuitdrukkingen (deze week, een tijd geleden, ...)
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Vandaag, Een tijd geleden, deze week, een tijd geleden, gisteren, Gisteren
1.
We trainden samen ... in het zwembad.
(We trained together this week in the swimming pool.)
2.
Ze liep ... een lange afstand.
(She walked a long distance yesterday.)
3.
... deed ik mijn routine op het strand.
(Today I did my routine on the beach.)
4.
Ik heb ... elke dag getraind.
(I trained every day some time ago.)
5.
... deed ik elke dag oefeningen.
(Some time ago I did exercises every day.)
6.
We trainden ... extra hard voor het toernooi.
(We trained extra hard this week for the tournament.)
7.
... voelde ik me moe na de oefeningen.
(Yesterday I felt tired after the exercises.)
8.
... doe ik mijn routine op het strand.
(Yesterday I did my routine on the beach.)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct sentence with the correct time expression and correct tense.
1.
With 'this week' you usually use the present perfect tense, not the simple past tense.
The past tense 'had worked' does not fit well with 'this week', which is usually used with the present perfect tense.
2.
'Running' is incorrectly used here; a past participle should follow 'have' in the present perfect tense.
'Every day' does not fit with 'yesterday', and the use of the present perfect tense here is incorrect.
3.
With 'some time ago' you usually use the simple past tense; present perfect tense is incorrect.
The verb form is incorrect and the tense does not match 'some time ago'.
4.
'Always' with 'today' and simple past tense causes confusion about the time.
With 'today' the present perfect tense is usually used; the simple past tense sounds less natural here.
