De leraar legt de les uit.
English: The teacher explains the lesson.
- Language
- Dutch
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Lijdende vorm en zinsnadruk
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
The 'bedrijvende vorm' in Dutch is the active voice. In the active voice, the subject of the sentence does the action.
When to use it
Use the active voice in Dutch when you want to clearly show who is doing the action. It is the most common way to build sentences in Dutch.
Key forms
- Subject + verb + object
- Example: De jongen leest het boek.
Examples
Zij schrijft een brief.
English: She writes a letter.
Wij eten pizza.
English: We eat pizza.
Jullie maken huiswerk.
English: You (plural) do homework.
De kat vangt de muis.
English: The cat catches the mouse.
Tips
- Always start with the subject (who does the action).
- Make sure the verb matches the subject in number and person.
- Do not confuse the active voice with the passive voice (lijdende vorm).
Exceptions and edge cases
- Sometimes Dutch uses the passive voice when the doer is unknown or not important.