Language
Dutch
Level
A2
Unit
Werkwoorden en tijden
Practice types
0

What this grammar point covers

The past tense of regular verbs in Dutch is used to talk about actions that happened in the past. Regular verbs follow a simple pattern when forming the past tense.

When to use it

Use this form to describe actions or situations that happened and finished in the past.

Key forms

  • For most regular verbs, add -de or -te to the stem for singular, and -den or -ten for plural.
  • The ending depends on the last letter of the stem (use 't kofschip' rule).

Examples

Ik werkte gisteren.

English: I worked yesterday.

Jij luisterde naar muziek.

English: You listened to music.

Wij speelden in het park.

English: We played in the park.

Zij maakte een tekening.

English: She made a drawing.

Tips

  • Pay attention to the 't kofschip' rule: if the stem ends with one of the letters t, k, f, s, ch, or p, use -te/-ten; otherwise, use -de/-den.
  • Do not confuse regular verbs with irregular ones; irregular verbs do not follow this pattern.
  • The stem is the verb without -en at the end (e.g., 'werken' → 'werk').

Exceptions and edge cases

  • Some verbs are irregular and do not follow this rule.

Keep exploring

Previous werkwoordstijden: tegenwoordige tijd A2 · Werkwoorden en tijden Next werkwoordstijden: verleden tijd van onregelmatige werkwoorden (basis) A2 · Werkwoorden en tijden