onvoltooide tijd (imperfectum) grammar in Dutch

Language: Dutch
Level: B1
Unit: Tijden en werkwoordsvormen
Practice types: 0

What this grammar point covers

The 'onvoltooide tijd' (imperfectum) in Dutch is a verb tense used to talk about actions or situations that happened in the past and were not completed, or that happened regularly in the past.

When to use it

Use the imperfectum in Dutch to describe habits or repeated actions in the past, to set the scene, or to talk about something that was happening at a certain moment in the past.

Key forms

For regular verbs: stem + -te(n) or -de(n)
For irregular verbs: unique imperfectum forms
Example: werken → ik werkte, jij werkte, wij werkten

Examples

Toen ik klein was, speelde ik elke dag buiten.

English: When I was little, I played outside every day.

Hij las een boek toen de telefoon ging.

English: He was reading a book when the phone rang.

We woonden vroeger in Amsterdam.

English: We used to live in Amsterdam.

Jullie maakten altijd veel lawaai op school.

English: You (plural) always made a lot of noise at school.

Tips

Remember to use the correct ending: -te(n) or -de(n), depending on the verb.
Irregular verbs do not always follow the regular pattern—learn their forms separately.
The imperfectum is often used with words like 'vroeger', 'toen', and 'altijd'.

Exceptions and edge cases

Some verbs are irregular and have unique imperfectum forms, such as 'zijn' (was, waren) and 'hebben' (had, hadden).
Pay attention to verbs ending in -d or -t, as the endings may look similar.