You use the present tense for what happens now. You also use it for things you do often: Ik werk in Utrecht (I work in Utrecht). The verb takes a different form for each subject. The subject is who or what does something: ik, jij, de winkel (the shop).
Start with the stem
Every form starts from the stem. That is the verb without -en. Werken (to work) gives werk. Drinken (to drink) gives drink. Sometimes the spelling of the stem changes a little. More on that below.
Three forms
| Subject | Form | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ik | stem | ik werk | I work |
| jij, u, hij, zij, het | stem + t | hij werkt | he works |
| wij, jullie, zij (plural) | full verb | wij werken | we work |
A subject like de winkel (the shop) or mijn zus (my sister) is one person or thing. It works like hij or zij: de winkel sluit. De kinderen (the children) are more than one. That works like plural zij: de kinderen spelen.
Jij and u in a question
With jij the verb takes a t: jij werkt. When jij comes after the verb, the t drops. That happens in a question. It also happens when the sentence starts with a time or place. The short form je works the same: werk je morgen? With u the t always stays.
Jij after the verb: no t
- Werk jij vandaag?
- Lees jij de krant?
- Morgen kom jij.
U: the t stays
- Werkt u vandaag?
- Leest u de krant?
- Morgen komt u.
Spelling the stem
The stem keeps the sound of the full verb. To do that, the spelling sometimes changes. These are the rules.
| Rule | Verb | Stem | With t |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long vowel: write it double | halen, lopen, wonen | haal, loop, woon | haalt, loopt, woont |
| Double consonant: write one | tellen, pakken, missen | tel, pak, mis | telt, pakt, mist |
| v at the end becomes f | leven, schrijven | leef, schrijf | leeft, schrijft |
| z at the end becomes s | lezen, reizen | lees, reis | leest, reist |
Does the stem already end in t? Then you do not add a second t. Zitten (to sit) gives hij zit. Eten (to eat) gives hij eet. Kosten (to cost) gives het kost.
Giving an instruction
To tell someone to do something, use the stem on its own: Kom binnen! (Come in!) Wacht even. (Wait a moment.) The polite form uses u: Komt u binnen. This is called the imperative. You see it a lot on signs and in instructions.