An adjective describes a noun: de grote hond (the big dog). A participle is a verb form. Like in English, you can put a participle in front of a noun: de blaffende hond (the barking dog), de gesloten deur (the closed door).
There are two kinds. The present participle is the full verb plus -d: blaffen becomes blaffend. It is like the English -ing form. The past participle is the one from the present perfect: gesloten, gepland. On this page there is one question every time: does it get an -e or not?
First: the normal -e rule
An adjective in front of a noun usually takes an -e. There is one exception. A singular het-word with een, or with no article at all, gets no -e.
| In front of | An -e? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a de-word | yes | de geplande reis (the planned trip) |
| a de-word with een | yes | een blaffende hond (a barking dog) |
| a het-word with het | yes | het geplande project |
| a plural | yes | de getekende documenten (the signed documents) |
| a het-word with een | no | een gestreept overhemd (a striped shirt) |
| a het-word with no article | no | kokend water (boiling water) |
Look at how the participle ends
Whether a participle takes an -e depends on its last letters. Does it end in -d or -t? Then follow the normal rule above. Does it end in -en? Then it never takes an -e.
Ends in -d or -t: normal rule
- de verbrande hand (the burnt hand)
- het geplande project
- een verbrand huis (a burnt house)
- een gestreept overhemd
Ends in -en: never an -e
- de gesloten deuren (the closed doors)
- het gezonken schip (the sunken ship)
- een gebroken been (a broken leg)
- de gebakken vis (the fried fish)
The present participle: blaffend, spelend
Take the full verb and add -d: blaffen becomes blaffend, spelen becomes spelend. It shows something happening at that moment. It always ends in -d, so it always follows the normal rule.
| In front of | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| a de-word | de blaffende hond | the barking dog |
| a het-word with het | het huilende kind | the crying child |
| a plural | de spelende kinderen | the playing children |
| a het-word with een | een groeiend probleem | a growing problem |
| a het-word with no article | kokend water | boiling water |
The past participle: gepland, gesloten
With a regular verb, the past participle ends in -d or -t: gepland, gestreept, verbrand. So it often takes an -e. With many irregular verbs it ends in -en: gesloten, gebroken, verloren. That form never changes.
Not sure whether it is -d or -t? Use the 't kofschip rule from the present perfect page. The letter stays when you add the -e: gepland becomes geplande, gestreept becomes gestreepte.
Is the participle not in front of a noun? Then it never takes an -e: De deur is gesloten (the door is closed). Het project is gepland.