Past Tense in Dutch

In Dutch, when we want to talk about something that happened in the past, we use the past tense. Strong verbs undergo changes in their stem when forming the past tense.

What are Strong Verbs?

Strong verbs are verbs that change their vowels in different tenses. Unlike regular (weak) verbs, strong verbs do not just add ‘-d’ or ‘-t’ to show past tense. Let’s look at some examples:

• gaan (to go) → ging (went)
• zien (to see) → zag (saw)
• eten (to eat) → at (ate)

How to Form Past Tense

To make the past tense of strong verbs, you need to:

• Know the base form of the verb.
• Memorize the past tense form, as it often changes the vowel.

Common Patterns

Strong verbs often change vowels in a specific way. Here are some common changes:

Practice!

Try to remember the past tense forms of these strong verbs. It can be tricky, but with practice, you will get it!