Dutch imperative (gebiedende wijs)
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HideDefinition and usage of the Dutch imperative
The Dutch imperative is used to give an order or command. The sentences generally do not have a subject if an imperative is used. The table below shows the different situations in which this Dutch verb tense is used.
| Situation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| You want to give an order or command. |
|
|
| You want to give an order or command in a polite way. |
|
|
| A command is given in general and not addressed to one specific person. |
|
|
| You want to make a proposal with 'laten we' (let's) |
|
|
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Conjugation of the Dutch imperative
1. To give an order or command, the imperative is formed with the present tense
of the first person singular, ik (I). The subject is left out here.
| Verb | Imperative | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| gaan (to go) | ga |
|
|
| lopen (to walk) | loop |
|
|
| blijven (to remain/to keep/to stay) | blijf |
|
|
2. To give a more polite order or command, the second person personal, u (you), is used. The personal pronoun has to be added here.
| Verb | Imperative | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| gaan (to go) | gaat u |
|
|
| lopen (to walk) | loopt u |
|
|
| blijven (to remain/to keep/to stay) | blijft u |
|
|
3. If a command is given in general and not addressed to a specific person, the infinitives of the verbs are used. This happens for example on signs in public places.
| Verb | Imperative | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| gaan (to go) | gaan |
|
|
| lopen (to walk) | lopen |
|
|
| blijven (to remain/to keep/to stay) | blijven |
|
|
4. To make a proposal with 'laten we' (let's), the infinitive of the verb is used in combination with 'laten we'.
| Verb | Imperative | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| gaan (to go) | laten we gaan |
|
|
| lopen (to walk) | laten we lopen |
|
|
| blijven (to remain/to keep/to stay) | laten we blijven |
|
|
Train your skills with the exercises about the imperative below!
Exercises
Exercise to practice Dutch imperative 1
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets to form the Dutch imperative.
Tips: There are four different usages of the imperative in Dutch.
- To give an order or command - first person singular (ik) is used.
- To give a more polite order or command - the second person singular (u) is used.
- To give a command in general - the infintives of the verbs are used.
- To make a proposal with 'laten we' (let's) - the infinitives of the verbs are used with 'laten we'
aan de kant. (gaan) (Get out of the way.)
u naar buiten. (gaan) (Go outside.)
Niet . (roken) (Don't smoke.)
eens mee. (lopen) (Walk with me.)
Laten we bij dit restaurant . (eten) (Let's eat at this restaurant.)
eens stil, ik hoor niks. (houden) (Keep quiet, I cannot hear anything.)
stil. (zitten) (Stay still.)
Laten we naar school . (gaan) (Let's go to school.)
Niet . (voeren) (Don't feed.)
hier zitten tot ik terug ben. (blijven) (Stay here until I come back.)
Exercise to practice Dutch imperative 2
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets to form the Dutch imperative.
Tip: There are four different usages of the imperative in Dutch.
- To give an order or command - first person singular (ik) is used.
- To give a more polite order or command - the second person singular (u) is used.
- To give a command in general - the infintives of the verbs are used.
- To make a proposal with 'laten we' (let's) - the infinitives of the verbs are used with 'laten we'.
stil. (liggen) (Lay down.)
u aan de kant alstublieft. (gaan) (Please move.)
Het gras niet . (betreden) (Do not step on the grass.)
eens recht. (staan) (Stand up straight.)
u even mee naar het kantoor. (komen) (Come with me to the office.)
Laten we ons huiswerk . (maken) (Let's do our homework.)
Verboden te . (parkeren) (No parking allowed.)
niet zo. (schreeuwen) (Don't scream.)
u deze kant op alstublieft. (lopen) (Walk this way please.)
naar de overkant en weer terug. (zwemmen) (Swim to the other side and back.)
Exercises
Exercise to practice Dutch imperative 1
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets to form the Dutch imperative.
Tips: There are four different usages of the imperative in Dutch.
- To give an order or command - first person singular (ik) is used.
- To give a more polite order or command - the second person singular (u) is used.
- To give a command in general - the infintives of the verbs are used.
- To make a proposal with 'laten we' (let's) - the infinitives of the verbs are used with 'laten we'
aan de kant. (gaan) (Get out of the way.)
u naar buiten. (gaan) (Go outside.)
Niet . (roken) (Don't smoke.)
eens mee. (lopen) (Walk with me.)
Laten we bij dit restaurant . (eten) (Let's eat at this restaurant.)
eens stil, ik hoor niks. (houden) (Keep quiet, I cannot hear anything.)
stil. (zitten) (Stay still.)
Laten we naar school . (gaan) (Let's go to school.)
Niet . (voeren) (Don't feed.)
hier zitten tot ik terug ben. (blijven) (Stay here until I come back.)
Exercise to practice Dutch imperative 2
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets to form the Dutch imperative.
Tip: There are four different usages of the imperative in Dutch.
- To give an order or command - first person singular (ik) is used.
- To give a more polite order or command - the second person singular (u) is used.
- To give a command in general - the infintives of the verbs are used.
- To make a proposal with 'laten we' (let's) - the infinitives of the verbs are used with 'laten we'.
stil. (liggen) (Lay down.)
u aan de kant alstublieft. (gaan) (Please move.)
Het gras niet . (betreden) (Do not step on the grass.)
eens recht. (staan) (Stand up straight.)
u even mee naar het kantoor. (komen) (Come with me to the office.)
Laten we ons huiswerk . (maken) (Let's do our homework.)
Verboden te . (parkeren) (No parking allowed.)
niet zo. (schreeuwen) (Don't scream.)
u deze kant op alstublieft. (lopen) (Walk this way please.)
naar de overkant en weer terug. (zwemmen) (Swim to the other side and back.)
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My name is Anco Peeters,. I am born in The Netherlands and a native speaker of the Dutch language..
I started my career as a schoolteacher and as a gymnastic instructor.
Later I started working in the ICT sector. Now I am a freelance instructor and consultant who teaches mainly networking and telephony.
I am also an NLP Practitioner
My hobbies are: Yoga, traveling, fitness, walking, meeting people
I would love to teach the Dutch language in an informal way with the accent on learning to speak the language. Grammar is also important. We can talk about any topic. I would like to help you making progress and have a lot of experience in creating an individual plan for every student based on your needs
Would love to see you for a trial lesson
Kind regards
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Do you want to improve your Dutch for work and daily life in the Netherlands? I help young expats enhance their Dutch skills, so you can speak and write with more confidence. Not because you have to, but because you want to! My lessons are practical and focused on what you truly need, whether you’re a beginner or already at a higher level.
What you can expect:
Lessons for beginners to advanced learners (B2 to C1), with a methodical and structured approach
Exercises that fit your work and life in the Netherlands
Focus on building confidence and keeping your self-respect, as you find your place as a new resident
Long-term collaboration, aimed at lasting progress and making the most of your new country
In my lessons, you’ll not only learn the language but also how to communicate your unique value and fully use the opportunities in your new home. This way, you’ll get to know the Netherlands better and make your own special contribution!
Ready to improve your Dutch? Contact me and let’s explore the possibilities!
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Do you want to improve your Dutch for work and daily life in the Netherlands? I help young expats enhance their Dutch skills, so you can speak and write with more confidence. Not because you have to, but because you want to! My lessons are practical and focused on what you truly need, whether you’re a beginner or already at a higher level.
What you can expect:
Lessons for beginners to advanced learners (B2 to C1), with a methodical and structured approach
Exercises that fit your work and life in the Netherlands
Focus on building confidence and keeping your self-respect, as you find your place as a new resident
Long-term collaboration, aimed at lasting progress and making the most of your new country
In my lessons, you’ll not only learn the language but also how to communicate your unique value and fully use the opportunities in your new home. This way, you’ll get to know the Netherlands better and make your own special contribution!
Ready to improve your Dutch? Contact me and let’s explore the possibilities!
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Hello there,
I'm Eveline Debouvere, polyglot and a world citizen! It would be my pleasure to help you improving your Dutch or German language skills. Tell me what you want to learn and I'll adapt my course to your needs. As I am working as a sales person for the Scandinavian and German markets in a medium-sized company, I am able to improve my own language skills every day. Knowing the importance of learning languages in a good, but fun way makes it easier to teach myself. On top of that I've already taught different languages to different students. All of them were amazed by the way the course is adapted to their needs during the teaching process.
Do you want to find this out yourself? Please contact me!
Until then I wish you all the best!
M. D.
It was great. We went through the first introduction round, then through important base of language - alphabet and "double sounds" to improve my pronunciation. Then we read article - to improve my pronunciation and understanding. It was a great lesson and I am looking forward to the next one.
Eveline D.
L. T.
Linda has been an amazing teacher and completely adapted to my needs! :) I would totally recommend her.
Linda R.
I want to help people to improve the level of their chosen language.
K. L.
Nancy is an exceptional teacher with a remarkable ability to tailor her approach to suit the individual needs and proficiency level. I've truly appreciated the diverse range of topics we've been able to explore and the various class formats she employs. Nancy is also an incredibly warm and nice person, I highly recommend her without hesitation!
Thank you Katsia for your positive kind words. It's a pleasure working with you.
Hello
My name is Anco Peeters,. I am born in The Netherlands and a native speaker of the Dutch language..
I started my career as a schoolteacher and as a gymnastic instructor.
Later I started working in the ICT sector. Now I am a freelance instructor and consultant who teaches mainly networking and telephony.
I am also an NLP Practitioner
My hobbies are: Yoga, traveling, fitness, walking, meeting people
I would love to teach the Dutch language in an informal way with the accent on learning to speak the language. Grammar is also important. We can talk about any topic. I would like to help you making progress and have a lot of experience in creating an individual plan for every student based on your needs
Would love to see you for a trial lesson
Kind regards
Anco
M. .
Enthousiast and engaged teacher. Plans a lesson around your needs and focuses on details specific to you. Finds helpful material for the lessons but also for the time between. Easy to talk to and can be reached easily too.
Hi Mia, thank you for this feedback. We will continue in this way until you are ready for your exam!