What is the Past Participle?
The past participle (voltooid deelwoord) is a form of the verb used in sentences to indicate completed actions. In Dutch, strong verbs ( sterke werkwoorden) have unique patterns for forming their past participles.
How to Form the Past Participle of Strong Verbs
- Strong verbs change their stem vowel and often end with ‘-en’ or ‘-ten’.
Examples of Strong Verbs
| Base Form | Past Participle |
|---|---|
| geven | gegeven (given) |
| zien | gezien (seen) |
| komen | gekomen (come) |
| zwemmen | gezwommen (swum) |
Using the Past Participle
We use the past participle with the auxiliary verb