A2 · Lesson 55 · The past
Telling a story (simple past)
Describe how things were.
Grammar
The simple past
- Used for stories and descriptions of the past: Vroeger woonde ik in Gent.
- Weak verbs: stem + -te(n) after ’t kofschip letters, otherwise -de(n): werkte, werkten; woonde, woonden.
- Strong verbs change their vowel: gaan → ging, komen → kwam, zien → zag.
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| zijn | was | waren |
| hebben | had | hadden |
| gaan | ging | gingen |
| komen | kwam | kwamen |
| werken | werkte | werkten |
| wonen | woonde | woonden |
Vocabulary
12 new words
- ik wasI was
- wij warenwe were
- ik hadI had
- ik gingI went
- ik kwamI came
- ik zagI saw
- ik werkteI worked
- ik woondeI lived
- vroegerin the past / used to
- toenthen / when (past)
- eerstfirst
- daarnaafter that
Read more
Dutch conjunctions: en, maar, want, omdat, als and toen
Dutch irregular verbs list: nearly 80 strong and irregular verbs
Dutch verb tenses: an overview of all eight tenses
The Dutch d/t rule: word or wordt, gebeurd or gebeurt?
The Dutch perfect tense (voltooide tijd) explained
The Dutch simple past: werkte, woonde, ging and was