Dutch Strong Verbs
From UniLang Wiki
These verbs don't follow the rules for the formation of the Past Tense or the Past Participle.
This means that they will have to be learned by heart.
This list only contains verbs that are widely used. Separable verbs are also omitted as they can be formed from the basic verbs they contain.
A Strong Verb with an irregular Past Tense has 3 forms in its Past Tense:
- the past stem
- the past stem + t
- the past stem + en
The past stem itself can be found in the following tables, the other two are only mentioned when they are irregular.
The past stem by itself is used after ik, jij, u, hij, zij, het:
- ik vroeg, jij vroeg, u vroeg, hij vroeg, zij vroeg, het vroeg
- (note: there is in the past case no difference between jij in front or after the verb)
The past stem + t is only used with gij:
- gij vroegt
- (note: the t isn't needed when the past stem already ends in -t: ik schoot, gij schoot)
The past stem + en is used in the plural:
- wij vroegen, jullie vroegen, zij vroegen
A general note: The verbs with an asterisk use 'zijn' in the Perfect Tenses (instead of 'hebben').
Contents |
Semi-Irregular Verbs
This first category is irregular in either the Past Tense or the Past Participle, but regular in the other one.
| Infinitive | Past Tense | Past Participle | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| bakken | bakte | gebakken | to bake |
| barsten | barstte | gebarsten | to burst |
| heten | heette | geheten | to call (with a name) |
| lachen | lachte | gelachen | to laugh |
| laden | laadde | geladen | to load |
| malen | maalde | gemalen | to grind |
| raden | raadde | geraden | to guess |
| scheiden | scheidde | gescheiden | to separate |
| vouwen | vouwde | gevouwen | to fold |
| wassen | waste | gewassen | to wash, to clean |
| weven | weefde | geweven | to weave |
| wreken | wreekte | gewroken | to take revenge |
| Infinitive | Past stem | Past Participle | Translation | + t, + en |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| vragen | vroeg | gevraagd | to ask | |
| zeggen | zei | gezegd | to say | zeidt, zeiden |
Irregular Verbs
Simple vowel changing verbs
These verbs are all regular in forming 'stem + t' and 'stem + en'. But you still have to follow the rules of Dutch Orthography:
So bedroog + en becomes bedrogen: wij bedrogen.
| Infinitive | Past Tense | Past Participle | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| begrijpen | begreep | begrepen | to understand |
| bijten | beet | gebeten | to bite |
| blijven* | bleef | gebleven | to stay |
| drijven | dreef | gedreven | to float |
| glijden | gleed | gegleden | to glide |
| grijpen | greep | gegrepen | to take (with hands) |
| hijsen | hees | gehesen | to lift |
| kijken | keek | gekeken | to look |
| krijgen | kreeg | gekregen | to receive |
| lijden | leed | geleden | to suffer |
| mijden | meed | gemeden | to avoid |
| rijden | reed | gereden | to ride, to drive |
| schijnen | scheen | geschenen | to shine, to seem |
| schrijven | schreef | geschreven | to write |
| spijten | speet | gespeten | to be sorry |
| stijgen* | steeg | gestegen | to go up |
| strijden | streed | gestreden | to quarrel |
| verdwijnen* | verdween | verdwenen | to disappear |
| vergelijken | vergeleek | vergeleken | to compare |
| wijzen | wees | gewezen | to point |
| wrijven | wreef | gewreven | to rub |
| zwijgen | zweeg | gezwegen | to be silent |
| Infinitive | Past Tense | Past Participle | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| bedriegen | bedroog | bedrogen | to deceive |
| bieden | bood | geboden | to bid |
| genieten | genoot | genoten | to enjoy |
| gieten | goot | gegoten | to water |
| kiezen | koos | gekozen | to choose |
| liegen | loog | gelogen | to lie (tell a falsehood) |
| schieten | schoot | geschoten | to shoot |
| verbieden | verbood | verboden | to forbid, to deny |
| vliegen | vloog | gevlogen | to fly |
| Infinitive | Past Tense | Past Participle | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| besluiten | besloot | besloten | to conclude |
| buigen | boog | gebogen | to bend |
| duiken | dook | gedoken | to dive |
| fluiten | floot | gefloten | to whistle |
| kruipen | kroop | gekropen | to crawl |
| ruiken | rook | geroken | to smell |
| sluiten | sloot | gesloten | to close |
| snuiten | snoot | gesnoten | to blow your nose |
| spuiten | spoot | gespoten | to squirt |
| zuigen | zoog | gezogen | to suck |
| Infinitive | Past Tense | Past Participle | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| beginnen* | begon | begonnen | to begin |
| binden | bond | gebonden | to bind |
| drinken | dronk | gedronken | to drink |
| dwingen | dwong | gedwongen | to force |
| klimmen | klom | geklommen | to climb |
| schrikken* | schrok | geschrokken | to scare |
| springen* | sprong | gesprongen | to jump |
| stinken | stonk | gestonken | to reek |
| vinden | vond | gevonden | to find |
| winden | wond | gewonden | to wind |
| winnen | won | gewonnen | to win |
| zingen | zong | gezongen | to sing |
| zinken* | zonk | gezonken | to sink |
| Infinitive | Past Tense | Past Participle | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| schenken | schonk | geschonken | to donate, to pour |
| smelten | smolt | gesmolten | to melt |
| trekken | trok | getrokken | to pull |
| vechten | vocht | gevochten | to fight |
| verbergen | verborg | verborgen | to hide |
| vertrekken* | vertrok | vertrokken | to leave |
| zenden | zond | gezonden | to send |
| zwemmen | zwom | gezwommen | to swim |
| Infinitive | Past Tense | Past Participle | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| bewegen | bewoog | bewogen | to move |
| dragen | droeg | gedragen | to carry |
| hangen | hing | gehangen | to hang |
| laten | liet | gelaten | to let |
| lopen | liep | gelopen | to run |
| kunnen | kon | gekunnen | can |
| roepen | riep | geroepen | to call, to shout |
| scheren | schoor | geschoren | to shave |
| slapen | sliep | geslapen | to sleep |
| vallen* | viel | gevallen | to fall |
| vangen | ving | gevangen | to catch |
| verlaten | verliet | verlaten | to abandon |
| wegen | woog | gewogen | to weigh |
| worden* | werd | geworden | to become |
| Infinitive | Past Tense | Past Participle | Translation | + en |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| blazen | blies | geblazen | to blow | bliezen |
| graven | groef | gegraven | to dig | groeven |
Complex vowel changing verbs
| Infinitive | Past Tense | Past Participle | Translation | + en |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| helpen | hielp | geholpen | to help | |
| scheppen | schiep | geschapen | to create | |
| sterven* | stierf | gestorven | to die | stierven |
| werpen | wierp | geworpen | to throw |
| Infinitive | Past Tense | Past Participle | Translation | + t | + en |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bevelen | beval | bevolen | to command | bevaalt | bevalen |
| bidden | bad | gebeden | to pray | badt | baden |
| breken | brak | gebroken | to break | braakt | braken |
| genezen | genas | genezen | to heal | genaast | genazen |
| geven | gaf | gegeven | to give | gaaft | gaven |
| lezen | las | gelezen | to read | laast | lazen |
| liggen | lag | gelegen | to lie (upon something) | laagt | lagen |
| nemen | nam | genomen | to take | naamt | namen |
| spreken | sprak | gesproken | to speak | spraakt | spraken |
| steken | stak | gestoken | to stab | staakt | staken |
| stelen | stal | gestolen | to steal | staalt | stalen |
| vergeven | vergaf | vergeven | to forgive | vergaaft | vergaven |
| vergeten | vergat | vergeten | to forget | vergat | vergaten |
| zitten | zat | gezeten | to sit | zat | zaten |
Completely irregular verbs
| Infinitive | Past Tense | Past Participle | Translation | +t, + en |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bezoeken | bezocht | bezocht | to visit | |
| brengen | bracht | gebracht | to bring | |
| denken | dacht | gedacht | to think | |
| doen | deed | gedaan | to do | |
| eten | at | gegeten | to eat | at, aten |
| gaan* | ging | gegaan | to go | |
| hebben | had | gehad | to have | |
| houden | hield | gehouden | to hold | |
| komen* | kwam | gekomen | to come | kwaamt, kwamen |
| kopen | kocht | gekocht | to buy | |
| mogen | mocht | gemogen | may | |
| moeten | moest | gemoeten | must | |
| slaan | sloeg | geslagen | to hit | |
| staan | stond | gestaan | to stand | |
| verliezen | verloor | verloren | to lose | |
| vriezen | vroor | gevroren | to freeze | |
| weten | wist | geweten | to know | |
| zien | zag | gezien | to see | zaagt, zagen |
| zijn* | was | geweest | to be | waart, waren |
| zoeken | zocht | gezocht | to search |
