Gisteren ging ik naar de winkel.
English: Yesterday I went to the store.
- Language
- Dutch
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Tijden en werkwoordsvormen
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
The 'verleden tijd van onregelmatige werkwoorden' in Dutch is the past tense form of irregular verbs. These verbs do not follow the regular rules for forming the past tense.
When to use it
Use these forms when talking about actions or events that happened in the past and are now finished.
Key forms
- ik ging
- jij kwam
- hij zag
- wij deden
Examples
Hij zag een mooie vogel.
English: He saw a beautiful bird.
We deden ons huiswerk.
English: We did our homework.
Jullie kwamen te laat.
English: You (plural) arrived late.
Tips
- Irregular verbs have special past tense forms—memorize them, as they do not follow standard rules.
- Check the list of common irregular verbs, as many are used frequently in Dutch.
- Pay attention to the verb stem changes in the past tense.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some irregular verbs also have irregular past participles.
- The past tense forms can be different for singular and plural subjects.