Irregularity in verbs was originally the norm. This means that verb forms were ‘regular’ when they were irregular. This is how languages evolved – largely through random processes, acting in isolation from each other. The irregularity of verb forms reflects this randomness.
Over time, language has evolved. Verbs such as “hebben”, “zijn” or “komen”, which are very common, have retained their highly irregular conjugation pattern, while the conjugation pattern for less common verbs (e.g. “werken” or “luisteren”) has changed.
Today, the most commonly used verbs are irregular.
- The conjugation of the verb “zijn” in Dutch
- Conjugation of the verb “hebben” in Dutch
- Conjugation of the verb “zullen” in Dutch
- Conjugation of the verb “kunnen” in Dutch
- Conjugation of the verb “gaan” in Dutch
- Conjugation of the verb “staan” in Dutch
- Conjugation of the verb “zien” in Dutch
- Conjugation of the verb “doen” in Dutch
- Conjugation of the verb “komen” in Dutch
- Conjugation of the verb “mogen” in Dutch
- Appendix: 3 forms of irregular verbs
We can divide irregular verbs into two groups:
- completely irregular, of which we have 11 in total
- partly irregular, which are those that have some recurring patterns.
The 11 completely irregular verbs are: hebben, zijn, kommen, kunnen, zullen, mogen, zien, doen, slaan, gaan and staan. These verbs are very important because of the frequency with which they occur in Dutch sentences. In our experiment, they made up 20% of all verbs.
You can use the Shadowing Method to automate the irregular verbs. You can read about other listening exercises in our article on efficient listening exercises for language learning.
The conjugation of the verb “zijn” in Dutch
The verb “to be” is by far the most common verb in Dutch.
At Taalhammer, we conducted an experiment in which we counted the verbs present in a large collection of Dutch texts. There were more than 36,000 of them in total, and the verb “zijn” occurred (in various forms) more than 8,000 times in this collection, which is 23% of all the verbs occurring.
The verb “zijn” allows you to say, for example, who you are and what your name is.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Ik ben Femke. | I am Femke. |
| Ik ben een Nederlander. (male)Ik ben een Nederlandse. (female) | I am Dutch. |
| Ik ben mooi en gelukkig. | I am beautiful and happy. |
But that is not all. In Dutch, it also functions as an auxiliary verb before a past participle. It is essential for creating compound tenses, such as “voltooid tegenwoordige tijd” (composite future tense), “voltooid verleden tijd” (the past perfect tense) and a few others (see the second part of this article on regular verbs).
Example sentences:
| Ik ben naar school gegaan. | I have gone to school |
| Ik ben dat alles vergeten. | I had forgotten all about it. |
| Waar ben je geweest? | Where have you been? |
| Subject | Present | Past | Perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ik | ben | was | ben geweest |
| je/jij/u | bent | was | bent geweest |
| hij/zij/het | is | was | is geweest |
| wij/we | zijn | waren | zijn geweest |
| jullie | zijn | waren | zijn geweest |
| zij/ze | zijn | waren | zijn geweest |
Conjugation of the verb “hebben” in Dutch
“Hebben” is the second most common verb in Dutch. In our experiment it accounts for about 10% of all verbs.
The basic meaning of the verb “hebben” is “to have”, which allows us, among other things, to express belonging and possession (both literally and abstractly).
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Ik heb een goede baan en veel geld. | I have a good job and lots of money. |
| Ik heb twee kinderen en een hond. | I have two children and a dog. |
| Ik heb geluk in mijn leven. | I’m lucky in my life. |
“Hebben”, like “zijn”, is also an independent verb. It is an auxiliary verb before a past participle. It is needed to form compound tenses, such as “Voltooid Tegenwoordige Tijd” (Present Perfect), “Voltooid Verleden Tijd” (Past Perfect Tense) and a few others (see the second part of this article on regular verbs).
| Ik heb iets goeds gedaan. | I did something good. |
| Ik heb mijn moeder lang niet gezien. | I haven’t seen my mother for a long time. |
| Heb je lunch gehad? | Have you had lunch? |
Automating the conjugation and use of the verb “hebben” is essential on the way to fluency.
| Subject | Present | Past | Perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ik | heb | had | heb gehad |
| je/jij/u | hebt | had | hebt gehad |
| hij/zij/het | heeft | had | heeft gehad |
| wij/we | hebben | hadden | hebben gehad |
| jullie | hebben | hadden | hebben gehad |
| zij/ze | hebben | hadden | hebben gehad |
Conjugation of the verb “zullen” in Dutch
The verb ‘zullen’ is primarily a verb for the past tense, but it is also used in Dutch to:
- making promises
- expressing a desire to do something
- expressing probability (zullen + wel)
- making a proposal in the form of a question
Example sentences:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Ik zal volgend jaar naar Amsterdam gaan. | Next year I will go to Amsterdam. (future) |
| Ik zal deze brief schrijven. | I will write this letter (promise). |
| Ik zal het nooit meer doen. | I will never do it again. (promise) |
| Straks zullen wij goed Nederlands spreken. | Soon we will speak Dutch well. (desire) |
| Zullen we naar de bioscoop gaan? | Why don’t we go to the museum? (suggestion) |
| Het zal wel een goed date zijn. | It will probably be a successful date (probability) |
Look at its conjugation:
| Present | Simple Past | Present Perfect | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ik | zal | zou | gezuld** |
| je/jij/u | zal/zult* | zou | gezuld** |
| hij/zij/het | zal | zou | gezuld** |
| we/wij | zullen | zouden | gezuld** |
| jullie | zullen | zouden | gezuld** |
| ze/zij | zullen | zouden | gezuld** |
(*) Both “Je zult” i “je zal” are correct.
(**) Very rarely will you encounter the past participle ‘gezuld’
Conjugation of the verb “kunnen” in Dutch
The verb “kunnen” corresponds to the English verb “can” and is used to expressed possibility or ability.
Example sentences:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Ik kan goed zwemmen. | I can swim well. |
| Kunnen wij samen naar Amsterdam gaan? | Can we go to Amsterdam together? |
| De studenten konden niet antwoorden. | The students were unable to give an answer |
| Wat kan ik voor u doen? | What can I do for you? |
| Ik kon niet slapen. | I couldn’t sleep. |
| Ik had het, zonder uw hulp, niet gekund. | I wouldn’t have made it without your help. |
Look at its conjugation:
| Present | Simple Past | Present Perfect | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ik | kan | kon | gekund |
| je/jij/u | kan | kon | gekund |
| hij/zij/het | kan | kon | gekund |
| we/wij | kunnen | konden | gekund |
| jullie | kunnen | konden | gekund |
| ze/zij | kunnen | konden | gekund |
Conjugation of the verb “gaan” in Dutch
The verb “gaan” corresponds to the English verb “to go”. Look at example sentences:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Ik ga naar de bioscoop. | I am going to the movies. |
| Gaan jullie dit jaar op vakantie? | Are you going on vacation this year? |
| Zij ging snel naar huis. | She quickly went home. |
| Ze gingen weg. | They went on their way. |
| Waar ben je heen gegaan? | Where did you go? |
Look at its conjugation:
| Present | Past | Present Perfect | |
| ik | ga | ging | gegaan |
| je/jij/u | gaat | ging | gegaan |
| hij/zij/het | gaat | ging | gegaan |
| we/wij | gaan | gingen | gegaan |
| jullie | gaan | gingen | gegaan |
| ze/zij | gaan | gingen | gegaan |
Conjugation of the verb “staan” in Dutch
The verb “staan” corresponds to the English verb “to stand”. Look at example sentences:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Ik sta achter je. | I’m standing behind you. |
| Ze staat op het podium. | She is standing on the stage. |
| Wij staan buiten. | We are standing outside. |
| Stonden jullie achter de deur? | Were you standing outside the door? |
| Ik heb een half uur in de rij gestaan. | I stood in line for half an hour. |
Look at its conjugation:
| Present | Past | Present Perfect | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ik | sta | stond | gestaan |
| je/jij/u | staat | stond | gestaan |
| hij/zij/het | staat | stond | gestaan |
| we/wij | staan | stonden | gestaan |
| jullie | staan | stonden | gestaan |
| ze/zij | staan | stonden | gestaan |
Conjugation of the verb “zien” in Dutch
The verb “zien” corresponds to the English verb “to see”. Look at example sentences:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Ik zie niets. | I can’t see anything. |
| Hoeveel vingers zie je? | How many fingers can you see? |
| Hij zag niemand. | He didn’t see anyone. |
| We zagen hem nergens. | We didn’t see him anywhere. |
| Hebben jullie Adam gezien? | Did you see Adam? |
Look at its conjugation:
| Present | Past | Present Perfect | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ik | zie | zag | gezien |
| je/jij/u | ziet | zag | gezien |
| hij/zij/het | ziet | zag | gezien |
| we/wij | zien | zagen | gezien |
| jullie | zien | zagen | gezien |
| ze/zij | zien | zagen | gezien |
Conjugation of the verb “doen” in Dutch
The verb “doen” corresponds to the English verb “to do” (or sometimes “to make”). Look at example sentences:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Ik doe wat ik kan. | I do what I can. |
| Ze doet alles snel. | She does everything quickly. |
| Hij deed zijn plicht. | He did his duty. |
| Waarom deden jullie dat? | Why did you do that? |
| Wie heeft dat gedaan? | Who did that? |
Look at its conjugation:
| Present | Simple Past | Present Perfect | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ik | doe | deed | gedaan |
| je/jij/u | doet | deed | gedaan |
| hij/zij/het | doet | deed | gedaan |
| we/wij | doen | deden | gedaan |
| jullie | doen | deden | gedaan |
| ze/zij | doen | deden | gedaan |
Conjugation of the verb “komen” in Dutch
The verb “komen” corresponds to the English verb “to come”. Look at example sentences:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Ik kom maandag. | I’m coming on Monday. |
| Komt hij echt? | Is he really coming? |
| Komen jullie niet? | Aren’t you guys coming? |
| De jongen kwam terug. | The boy came back. |
| Ze is nog niet gekomen. | She hasn’t come yet. |
Look at its conjugation:
| Present | Simple Past | Present Perfect | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ik | kom | kwam | gekomen |
| je/jij/u | komt | kwam | gekomen |
| hij/zij/het | komt | kwam | gekomen |
| we/wij | komen | kwamen | gekomen |
| jullie | komen | kwamen | gekomen |
| ze/zij | komen | kwamen | gekomen |
Conjugation of the verb “mogen” in Dutch
The verb “mogen” corresponds to the English verb “to like” or “to be allowed to”. Look at example sentences:
| English | Polish |
|---|---|
| Ik mag hem wel. | I like him. |
| Iedereen mag hem. | Everybody likes him. |
| Tom mocht Mary niet. | Tom didn’t like Mary. |
| Ze mochten vandaag niet komen. | They weren’t allowed to come today. |
| Ik heb je nooit gemogen. | I never liked you. |
Look at its conjugation:
| Present | Past | Present Perfect | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ik | mag | mocht | gemogen |
| je/jij/u | mag | mocht | gemogen |
| hij/zij/het | mag | mocht | gemogen |
| we/wij | mogen | mochten | gemogen |
| jullie | mogen | mochten | gemogen |
| ze/zij | mogen | mochten | gemogen |
If you are interested in Dutch language, read our article about Dutch regular verbs and how they change in different time forms, and our article about “The most difficult aspects of Dutch grammar“.
Appendix: 3 forms of irregular verbs
| Infinitive | Past simple | Past participle | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| bakken | bakte | gebakken | bake |
| bedriegen | bedroog | bedrogen | dupe |
| beginnen | begon | begonnen | begin, start |
| beschrijven | beschreef | beschreven | describe |
| besluiten | besloot | besloten | decide |
| bestaan | bestond | bestaan | exist |
| bevelen | beval, bevalen | bevolen | order, command |
| bewegen | bewoog | bewogen | move |
| bezoeken | bezocht | bezocht | visit |
| bidden | bad, baden | gebeden | pray |
| bieden | bood | geboden | offer, present |
| bijten | beet | gebeten | bite |
| binden | bond | gebonden | tie up, bind |
| blazen | blies | geblazen | blow |
| blijken | bleek | gebleken | appear |
| blijven | bleef | gebleven | stay, remain |
| blinken | blonk | geblonken | glow |
| breken | brak, braken | gebroken | break |
| brengen | bracht | gebracht | bring |
| buigen | boog | gebogen | bend |
| denken | dacht | gedacht | think |
| doen | deed | gedaan | do |
| dragen | droeg | gedragen | support, bear / wear |
| drijven | dreef | gedreven | float / drive |
| drinken | dronk | gedronken | drink |
| duiken | dook | gedoken | dive |
| dwingen | dwong | gedwongen | force, oblige |
| eten | at , aten | gegeten | eat |
| fluiten | floot | gefloten | flute |
| gaan | ging | gegaan | go |
| gelden | gold | gegolden | count |
| genezen | genas, genazen | genezen | heal, cure |
| genieten | genoot | genoten | enjoy |
| geven | gaf, gaven | gegeven | give |
| gieten | goot | gegoten | pour |
| glijden | gleed | gegleden | slide |
| glimmen | glom | geglommen | glow, glisten |
| graven | groef | gegraven | dig |
| grijpen | greep | gegrepen | grab |
| hangen | hing | gehangen | hang |
| hebben | had | gehad | have |
| heffen | hief | geheven | lift, raise |
| helpen | hielp | geholpen | help |
| heten | heette | geheten | be named |
| houden | hield | gehouden | hold |
| jagen | joeg | gejaagd | hunt |
| kiezen | koos | gekozen | choose |
| kijken | keek | gekeken | see, look |
| klimmen | klom | geklommen | climb |
| klinken | klonk | geklonken | sound |
| komen | kwam | gekomen | come |
| kopen | kocht | gekocht | buy |
| krijgen | kreeg | gekregen | receive |
| krimpen | kromp | gekrompen | contract, shrink |
| kruipen | kroop | gekropen | crawl |
| kunnen | kon, konden | gekund | be able to |
| lachen | lachte | gelachen | laugh |
| laden | laadde | geladen | load |
| laten | liet | gelaten | let |
| lezen | las, lazen | gelezen | read |
| liegen | loog | gelogen | lie (tell lies) |
| liggen | lag, lagen | gelegen | lie (be laid) |
| lijden | leed | geleden | suffer |
| lijken | leek | geleken | look like |
| lopen | liep | gelopen | walk |
| meten | mat, maten | gemeten | measure |
| moeten | moest | gemoeten | have to |
| mogen | mocht | gemogen | be allowed to |
| nemen | nam, namen | genomen | take |
| ontbijten | ontbeet | ontbeten | have breakfast |
| ontmoeten | ontmoette | ontmoet | meet |
| ontvangen | ontving | ontvangen | receive, welcome |
| prijzen | prees | geprezen | praise |
| raden | raadde | geraden | guess |
| rijden | reed | gereden | drive |
| roepen | riep | geroepen | call, shout |
| ruiken | rook | geroken | smell |
| scheiden | scheidde | gescheiden | separate, divorce |
| schelden | schold | gescholden | rail |
| schenken | schonk | geschonken | donate |
| scheppen | schiep | geschapen | create |
| scheren | schoor | geschoren | shave |
| schieten | schoot | geschoten | shoot, kick |
| schijnen | scheen | geschenen | shine |
| schrijven | schreef | geschreven | spell |
| schrikken | schrok | geschrokken | be scared |
| schuiven | schoof | geschoven | shove |
| slaan | sloeg | geslagen | hit, strike |
| slapen | sliep | geslapen | sleep |
| slijten | sleet | gesleten | wear |
| sluiten | sloot | gesloten | close, shut |
| smelten | smolt | gesmolten | melt |
| smijten | smeet | gesmeten | throw |
| snijden | sneed | gesneden | cut, slice |
| snuiven | snoof | gesnoven | snort |
| spannen | spande | gespannen | tauten |
| spijten | het speet (me) | het heeft (me) gespeten | regret |
| splijten | spleet | gespleten | split |
| spreken | sprak, spraken | gesproken | speak |
| springen | sprong | gesprongen | jump |
| spuiten | spoot | gespoten | eruct |
| staan | stond | gestaan | stand |
| steken | stak, staken | gestoken | sting |
| stelen | stal, stalen | gestolen | steal |
| sterven | stierf | gestorven | die |
| stijgen | steeg | gestegen | rise |
| strijden | streed | gestreden | compete |
| strijken | streek | gestreken | iron |
| treden | trad, traden | getreden | step |
| treffen | trof | getroffen | encounter |
| trekken | trok | getrokken | pull |
| vallen | viel | gevallen | fall |
| vangen | ving | gevangen | catch |
| varen | voer | gevaren | sail |
| vechten | vocht | gevochten | fight |
| verbergen | verborg | verborgen | hide |
| verbieden | verbood | verboden | forbid |
| verbinden | verbond | verbonden | connect, join |
| verblijven | verbleef | verbleven | stay |
| verdwijnen | verdween | verdwenen | disappear |
| vergelijken | vergeleek | vergeleken | compare |
| vergeten | vergat | vergeten | forget |
| verkopen | verkocht | verkocht | sell |
| verlaten | verliet | verlaten | leave |
| verliezen | verloor | verloren | lose |
| verschijnen | verscheen | verschenen | appear |
| verslijten | versleet | versleten | wear |
| verslinden | verslond | verslonden | devour |
| verstaan | verstond | verstaan | understand |
| vertrekken | vertrok | vertrokken | leave |
| verzenden | verzond | verzonden | submit, ship |
| verzinnen | verzon | verzonnen | invent, make up |
| vinden | vond | gevonden | find |
| vliegen | vloog | gevlogen | fly |
| voorzien | voorzag | voorzien | foresee |
| vragen | vroeg | gevraagd | ask |
| vriezen | vroor | gevroren | freeze |
| wassen | waste | gewassen | wash |
| wegen | woog | gewogen | weigh |
| werpen | wierp | geworpen | throw |
| weten | wist | geweten | know |
| wijten | weet | geweten | blame, attribute to |
| wijzen | wees | gewezen | point, indicate |
| willen | wilde/wou, wilden | gewild | want |
| winnen | won | gewonnen | win |
| worden | werd | geworden | become |
| wreken | wreekte | gewroken | avenge |
| wrijven | wreef | gewreven | chafe |
| wringen | wrong | gewrongen | writhe |
| zeggen | zei, zeiden | gezegd | say |
| zenden | zond | gezonden | send |
| zien | zag, zagen | gezien | see |
| zijn | was, waren | geweest | be |
| zingen | zong | gezongen | sing |
| zinken | zonk | gezonken | sink |
| zitten | zat, zaten | gezeten | sit |
| zoeken | zocht | gezocht | search |
| zuigen | zoog | gezogen | suck |
| zullen | zou, zouden | / | will |
| zwellen | zwol | gezwollen | bloat |
| zwemmen | zwom | gezwommen | swim |
| zweren | zwoer | gezworen | swear |
| zwerven | zwierf | gezworven | ramble |
| zwijgen | zweeg | gezwegen | be silent |
