The Dutch present tense and its spelling rules
Learn how to conjugate Dutch verbs in the present tense, the spelling rules behind maak, zit and leef, the key irregular verbs, and when to use it.
The Dutch present tense is wonderfully regular. Most verbs follow one simple pattern: take the stem, add a -t for "you" and "he/she", and use the full infinitive for the plural. What confuses learners is not the grammar but the spelling: why maken becomes ik maak and zitten becomes ik zit. Those changes follow a logic, and once you see it, you'll also understand adjectives, plurals and much more.
The basic pattern: stem + endings
To find the stem, take the infinitive and remove -en: werken → werk. Then:
| Person | Ending | werken (to work) |
|---|---|---|
| ik | stem | ik werk |
| jij / je | stem + t | jij werkt |
| u | stem + t | u werkt |
| hij / zij / het | stem + t | hij werkt |
| wij / we | infinitive | wij werken |
| jullie | infinitive | jullie werken |
| zij / ze (plural) | infinitive | zij werken |
That's it: only three forms per verb. Ik werk, hij werkt, wij werken.
- Ik werk in Rotterdam. — I work in Rotterdam.
- Mijn zus werkt in een ziekenhuis. — My sister works in a hospital.
- We werken vandaag thuis. — We're working from home today.
Spelling rule 1: open and closed syllables
Dutch spelling uses syllables to show vowel length. A syllable that ends in a vowel is open, and a single vowel letter there is pronounced long: ma-ken, lo-pen. A syllable that ends in a consonant is closed, and a single vowel there is short: werk, zit.
When you remove -en, the long vowel ends up in a closed syllable. To keep it long, you write the vowel twice:
- maken → ik maak (not mak)
- lopen → ik loop
- horen → ik hoor
- sturen → ik stuur
The reverse happens with short vowels. Zitten has a double consonant to keep the i short in an open syllable. In the stem, the syllable is already closed, so one consonant is enough:
- zitten → ik zit
- bakken → ik bak
- liggen → ik lig
- stoppen → ik stop
Vowel combinations like ij, ui, ie, ou, eu and oe never change: blijven → ik blijf, kijken → ik kijk, roepen → ik roep.
Spelling rule 2: v becomes f, z becomes s
Dutch words never end in v or z. So when the stem would end in one of those letters, it changes to f or s:
- leven → ik leef (and hij leeft)
- geven → ik geef
- schrijven → ik schrijf
- reizen → ik reis
- lezen → ik lees
- verhuizen → ik verhuis
Notice that leven → leef uses both rules: v becomes f, and the e doubles because the syllable is now closed.
Spelling rule 3: no double t
If the stem already ends in -t, you don't add another one:
- zitten → ik zit, hij zit (not zitt)
- zetten → ik zet, jij zet
- praten → ik praat, zij praat
But a stem ending in -d does get the -t, even though you don't hear it: worden → hij wordt, antwoorden → zij antwoordt, vinden → hij vindt.
Inversion: werk jij?
When jij or je comes after the verb — in questions or after a time word at the start — the -t disappears:
- Jij werkt morgen. → Werk jij morgen? — Are you working tomorrow?
- Je woont hier. → Woon je hier? — Do you live here?
- Morgen ga je naar Gent. — Tomorrow you're going to Ghent.
This only applies to jij/je. With u and hij, the -t stays: Werkt u morgen?, Werkt hij morgen? More on putting the verb first in Dutch word order.
The irregular verbs you need first
A small group of very common verbs don't follow the pattern. Learn these by heart:
| ik | jij / u | hij / zij | wij / jullie / zij | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| zijn (to be) | ben | bent | is | zijn |
| hebben (to have) | heb | hebt (u hebt/heeft) | heeft | hebben |
| gaan (to go) | ga | gaat | gaat | gaan |
| doen (to do) | doe | doet | doet | doen |
| staan (to stand) | sta | staat | staat | staan |
| slaan (to hit) | sla | slaat | slaat | slaan |
| zien (to see) | zie | ziet | ziet | zien |
| kunnen (can) | kan | kunt / kan | kan | kunnen |
| willen (to want) | wil | wilt / wil | wil | willen |
| zullen (will) | zal | zult / zal | zal | zullen |
| mogen (may) | mag | mag | mag | mogen |
Gaan, doen, staan, slaan and zien are short verbs whose stem is simply the infinitive minus -n, so they're less strange than they look. Komen is actually regular in the present (ik kom, hij komt, wij komen); it only becomes irregular in the past (kwam). For the modal verbs in detail, see modal verbs.
When to use the present tense
The Dutch present covers more ground than the English simple present:
- Right now (English "-ing"): Wat doe je? Ik kook. — What are you doing? I'm cooking.
- Habits and facts: Ik fiets elke dag naar mijn werk. — I cycle to work every day.
- The near future, usually with a time word: Ik bel je morgen. — I'll call you tomorrow. We gaan volgend jaar naar Spanje. — We're going to Spain next year.
- Something that started in the past and still continues, usually with al: Ik woon hier al twee jaar. — I've been living here for two years. Hoelang leer je al Nederlands? — How long have you been learning Dutch?
That last one is a classic error: English uses a perfect tense, but Dutch uses the present. Ik heb hier twee jaar gewoond would mean you no longer live there.
To stress that something is happening right now, Dutch can use aan het + infinitive: Ik ben aan het koken. — I'm (busy) cooking.
Quick summary
- Stem = infinitive minus -en. Endings: ik stem, jij/u/hij stem + t, plural = infinitive.
- Long vowels double in the stem: maken → maak, lopen → loop.
- Double consonants become single: zitten → zit.
- v → f and z → s: leven → leef, reizen → reis.
- No double t: hij zit; but hij wordt.
- Jij after the verb loses the -t: Werk jij? But Werkt u?
- Learn the irregulars: zijn, hebben, gaan, doen, staan, slaan, zien and the modals.
- Use the present for now, habits, the near future and ongoing situations: Ik woon hier al twee jaar.
Practise it
Describe your day with present-tense verbs in Daily routine, use zijn and hebben to talk about yourself in Introducing yourself, and talk about what you like doing in Hobbies.