Dutch grammar: voltooid deelwoord

What this grammar point covers

The 'voltooid deelwoord' is the Dutch past participle. It is a verb form used to talk about actions that have been completed.

When to use it

You use the 'voltooid deelwoord' in Dutch to form the present perfect tense (to say what you have done), the past perfect, and sometimes as an adjective.

Key forms

• Most verbs: 'ge-' + verb stem + '-d' or '-t' (e.g., 'gewerkt', 'gemaakt')
• Some verbs: irregular forms (e.g., 'geweest', 'gedaan')

Examples

Tips

• Most 'voltooid deelwoorden' start with 'ge-' and end with '-d' or '-t'.
• Some verbs use 'zijn' instead of 'hebben' as the auxiliary verb.
• Watch out for irregular verbs: their forms can be different.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Irregular verbs have special forms (e.g., 'geweest', 'gedaan', 'gezien').
• Verbs with prefixes like 'be-', 'ver-', 'ont-' do not use 'ge-' (e.g., 'beantwoord', 'verkocht').