Dutch verb conjugation and tenses
Sign up for free to get all information about private lessons and our available group courses (A1, A2, B2, B2, C1, C2)
Sign up for freeWe offer both private lessons and organized group courses
Sign up for free to get all available courses or contact one of our teachers yourself!
Tsarina T.
50.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Hannelore L.
25.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Ana M.
25.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Our offer
Lesson outline
HideThe 8 Dutch verb tenses
There are 8 different tenses in Dutch.
- Most Dutch verbs are regular verbs, 'zwakke werkwoorden' (weak verbs), these are verbs that are all conjugated the same way.
- The Dutch language also has many irregular verbs, known as 'sterke werkwoorden' (strong verbs), which conjugate differently in some of the tenses. These can be grouped together to make it easier to remember how to conjugate them.
- There are 6 completely irregular verbs, that are not actually irregular in every tense.
Here you will find an overview of all the 8 tenses. For a more detailed explanation of the tenses you can take a look at the different chapters of this course, where you will also find exercises to practice the tenses.
Have a question?
Take online language lessons with a professional teacher
- Native & verified teachers
- Free trial lesson
- Learning materials included
María Mercedes D. 
25.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Katrien D.
29.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Anco P.
40.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Pieter S.
30.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
HUGUES JPM P.
25.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Monique M.
30.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Jochem E.
25.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Els S.
40.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Pelin C.
30.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Marleen S.
30.00 €/h
Free trial lesson!
Group lessons!
Usage and conjugation of the Dutch verb tenses
To be able to conjugate the Dutch verbs in the present simple and present past, you have to find the stem of the verb and add the specific ending that fits with the tense the sentence should be in.
For the present perfect and past perfect the verbs 'hebben' (to have) and 'zijn' (to be) are used together with the past participle. The verb 'zullen' (to shall) is used to form the all future tenses.
The table below gives you an overview of the different tenses in Dutch.
| Tense | Usage | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present simple (onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd) | The present simple is mainly used to describe a situation that is happening now. |
|
|
| Present perfect (voltooid tegenwoordige tijd) | The present perfect is used to describe an action or event that happened in the past and already ended. |
|
|
| Past simple (onvoltooid verleden tijd) | The past simple is mainly used to describe something happened in the past. |
|
|
| Past perfect (voltooid verleden tijd) | The past perfect is used to describe something that happened in the past and ended in the past. |
|
|
| Future simple (onvoltooid tegenwoordige toekomende tijd) | The future simple tense is used to talk about an event that will happen in the future. |
|
|
| Future perfect (voltooid tegenwoordige toekomende tijd) | The future perfect is used to describe an action that will have been completed before another point or action in the future. (This form is not used very often.) |
|
|
| Conditional tense (onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd) | The conditional tense is used to speculate about a situation, mainly used in an 'if' scenario. |
|
|
| Conditional perfect (voltooid verleden toekomende tijd) | The conditional perfect is used to describe a future hypothetical situation in the past. |
|
|
Exercises
- Exercise to practice Dutch verb conjugation and tenses 1
- Exercise to practice Dutch verb conjugation and tenses 2
Exercise to practice Dutch verb conjugation and tenses 1
Exercise to practice Dutch verb conjugation and tenses 2
Exercises
- Exercise to practice Dutch verb conjugation and tenses 1
- Exercise to practice Dutch verb conjugation and tenses 2
Exercise to practice Dutch verb conjugation and tenses 1
Exercise to practice Dutch verb conjugation and tenses 2
What our students say
Unlike in other platforms, all our teachers are manually verified by our professional team. Trust in the experiences of our students.
Hi!
My name is Kirstine. I'm an experienced English and Danish teacher. I teach at a primary and lower secondary school. (Students aged 6-16). But I'm also very interested in teaching both younger and older/adult students.
I'm an international coordinator at my school, and very used to working with students and teachers from all around the world.
I'm used to online teaching.
I love having contact with people from all around the world. I used to travel a lot, but now I love to meet people from other countries either at my AirBnB or through online sessions.
I love to hear from you and teach you either Danish or English.
I have an informal way of teaching, and will work together with you to make the sessions how you prefer them.
We can use a textbook if you prefer, but I also like to read the news, small books, look at online videos and more, and to discuss and learn from that.
S. .
We can definitely recommend Kirstine as a Danish teacher. Our main goal is to learn how to speak Danish and we have been progressing very well through a mix of conversational, grammar, reading, and homework exercises. Kirstine was very open to tailor the classes to our specific needs.
Kirstine J.
Hello, my name is Michel and I'm a Dutch primary school language teacher. I lived in France for 7 years and I worked for an international school that is well known all over France. I moved to Madeira, Portugal and started to work as online Dutch language teacher 4 years ago. Teaching children and adults is my passion aswel as having fun with learning a new language.
My lessons are adapted to your level and due to my job and experience I have acces to teaching methodes to learn you the basics of the Dutch language or to improve your level. I can help you to improve your level of writing and speaking or help you learn your first words and phrases.
C. P.
Johannes is a very good teacher. My friends and I have a group lesson with him every Tuesday night and love that moment. He is very nice, patient, funny, explains really well... in short the best online teacher you can have ! :) We can see we are doing progress every week!
Michel B.
I want to help people to improve the level of their chosen language.
T. .
wat een uitstekende leraar! In addition to being competent, Nancy is always on time and does not hesitate to exceed the class hour to complete the lesson.
Nancy C.
Thank you Thibaut for your kind words. It was a pleasure to be able to help you.
Hi, Mi name is Paul. I'm a certified (TEFL, ELE) teacher with over 10 years of experience in language teaching. I am actually teaching business clients and individuals.
I always try to keep the classes informal and relaxed. It's important that the students like the class, and that they feel comfortable. That results in progress, and that's exactly what we want.
The focus is on conversation (so pronunciation!) and understanding but also reading and writing are important to improve active vocabulary.
Now grammar is also important to understand the structure of a language, but I only touch grammar when needed, so that depends a lot on the level (from A1 to C2).
For lower-level students who still need some native language in class, I speak fluently Spanish, Dutch and some German and French.
The first class is free of charge, so just try it! I'm sure you'll like it.
A. .
Paul has done well gauging my level and then setting up lessons to match. With a combination of grammar, pronunciation, and learning new words. And now with more focused work and being able to come up with sentences.
Paul K.
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.
English teacher with 13 years teaching experience in Italy. Speaks English and Italian.
Hi, I'm Jason, I'm English and live in Central Italy where I teach English to students of all levels, all ages and all abilities. English for school, for exams or tests, for work or for business.
My methods are based on building your confidence to speak English, developing your listening skills so you can understand English and helping you understand the grammar rules of the English language.
Why in this way? Because my students have the best results when they are able to speak in English as soon as possible. Then, when you can converse in English and understand simple conversation you can develop all your language skills very quickly.
Of course, for some students, grammar and written English is a priority and I can help you develop these skills first if that is what you need.
For others they need to learn specific vocabulary for their work, I have given courses in business, medicine and tourism that can be adapted for all types of work situations.
I am teaching students from 3 to 70 years old and my lessons are adapted for every individual so they have the best opportunity to realize their goals.
If you are interested then please contact me for a chat and a free trial lesson.
A. V.
I have started with English courses because I needed to improve my English language for work. After two weeks of lessons with Jason, I have noticed that my langauge skills have improved a lot. Jason is always well prepared for each lesson and he has a great, interesting and useful teaching materials. Jason has a good speaking and teaching style which keeps me interested during lessons. Thanks Jason for the great lessons ! I highly recommend Jason as great teacher which gives his best for the students !
Jason H.
Professor of Dutch
L. .
My children really enjoy Lauren’s lessons. She is very kind and patient and chooses fun topics for them.
Lauren D.
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!
J. T.
Monique is a great teacher! She is making me improve a lot my speaking which is my focus, without disregarding the other skills
Monique M.
-
E. C.
I really enjoyed this lesson! Carina answered some questions I had and helped me in practicing talking. I found it extremely useful.
F S.
I'm a bilingual native speaker of Polish and Czech, with fluent English and German. I've been teaching individual Polish and Czech courses for language schools and have 20 years of experience as a translator. I also gathered experience in many language tandems with Polish and Czech learners.
Feel free to book a trial lesson (30 mins) to see what I can do for you!
P. D.
I am very happy to have Katarzyna as a czech teacher. The lessons are well prepared. She suggests conversations and then listens carefully to me. She asks me to repeat what I could not explain clearly with my own words and then corrects me. After each lesson, I take away some useful words or expressions for everyday situations.
Katarzyna S.
Thanks a lot for your review! Patrick is also a very attentive and motivated student. :)
Hi! I live in Germany since 2014, I live in the Frankfurt am Main area. I teach German to refugees since the beginning of 2017 and I have been teaching Dutch at several language schools, at peoples homes and in-house at several companies. I passed the C1-level Test for German at the Goethe Institut.
It is my goal to adapt my lessons as much as possible to the wishes of the student. This means that, besides offering regular learning methods, I am open to initiatives like talking about subjects that are of interest to the student, for example reading and discussing articles, watching and discussing educational videos and/or current happenings in the world.
I look forward to meeting you online!
S. F.
I've learnt so much from Marlijn! She is a great teacher that adapts the lessons to the student's needs and is available to provide additional material and correct homeworks also outside the lecture. Her friendly personality made me very comfortable and able to learn in a relaxed environment. Communication was great. I strongly recommend her!
Marlijn S.
Hello, my name is Claus !For many years I teach students from all over the world as a professional teacher of the German language. With a lot of experience and patience I lead my students to their to teach successfully and with fun. I offer you general language courses of B1- C2 with test preparations, as well as courses in Business German (prerequisites are language proficiency in German from level B1 +!).
P. D.
Claus has now been helping me to improve my German for a few weeks. Claus has a lot of experience as a teacher and he also has a large general culture. He always comes with interesting topics. The discussions help me to gain confidence, expand my vocabulary and correct some mistakes.
Claus B.
Hi there
My name is Lieneke Jansen and I am 56 years old.
I am from a small country in Europe called the Netherlands
I am a TEFL certified English language coach with experience in teaching both children and adults.
Although I am a non-native speaker, I have learned English since high school, and practicing it on a daily basis from then on.
I have over 30 years of working experience in several international companies on a high professional work and think level.
I am specialised in business conversation and practicing speaking skills on every possible level
Looking forward to meet you as my student.
Y. K.
Lieneke is a great teacher. Very professional and sensitive to your needs. She is always positive so lessons are very comfortable.
Lieneke J.
HALF-HOUR FREE TRIAL CLASS Language lessons Dutch / French. From culture and literature to spelling and grammar. And a lot of conversations!
N. .
Helene is an excellent teacher and a pleasure to work with. She has an organized lesson at the start and has a easy and clear communication style. I took Dutch classes from her, so I know she is at least fluent in English and Dutch. I also understand she is fluent in French as well. I plan to continue taking classes with Helene!
Hélène M.
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!
I. G.
Monique is a very friendly, charismatic, positive and encouraging teacher. Her lessons are always extremely interesting, dynamic and very productive. I am focusing mostly on improving my speaking abilities and it is always an interesting discussion on different topics. The lessons with her are a real pleasure for me. I just always regret, that our lesson past so quickly. I highly recommend Monique :)
Monique M.