Ik dacht dat hij zou komen.
English: I thought that he would come.
- Language
- Dutch
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Werkwoordsvormen en tijden
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
The 'verleden toekomende tijd' in Dutch is the past future tense. It is used to talk about something that would happen in the future, seen from a point in the past.
When to use it
Use this form in Dutch when you want to talk about something that was planned or expected to happen after a certain point in the past, or to express intentions or predictions made in the past.
Key forms
- 'zou' or 'zouden' + infinitive
- 'was/waren van plan te' + infinitive
Examples
We zouden gisteren naar het strand gaan.
English: We were going to go to the beach yesterday.
Zij zei dat ze het boek zou lezen.
English: She said that she would read the book.
Hij was van plan te vertrekken.
English: He was planning to leave.
Jullie zouden samen eten.
English: You would eat together.
Tips
- Always use 'zou' for singular and 'zouden' for plural subjects.
- The infinitive of the main verb comes at the end of the sentence.
- Do not use 'zal' or 'zullen' for this tense; use 'zou' or 'zouden' instead.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs have irregular infinitive forms, but the structure with 'zou/zouden' stays the same.