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Verbs according to function 4
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Lecture1.1
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Lecture1.2
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Lecture1.3
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Lecture1.4
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Verbs according to meaning 7
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Lecture2.1
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Lecture2.2
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Lecture2.3
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Lecture2.4
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Lecture2.5
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Lecture2.6
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Lecture2.7
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Verbs according to form 3
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Lecture3.1
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Lecture3.2
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Lecture3.3
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Verbs according to conjugation 6
For purposes of conjugation Dutch verbs can be divided into regular and irregular verbs. Regular verbs follow a certain pattern in the way they are conjugated, whereas irregular verbs do not follow a pattern at all. The group of regular verbs is the largest, and this group can be divided further into weak verbs and strong verbs. The conjugation of a new verb (e.g. a verb borrowed from English) normally follows the rules of weak verbs.
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Lecture4.1
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Lecture4.2
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Lecture4.3
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Lecture4.4
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Lecture4.5
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Lecture4.6
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Tenses 9
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Lecture5.1
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Lecture5.2
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Lecture5.3
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Lecture5.4
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Lecture5.5
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Lecture5.6
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Lecture5.7
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Lecture5.8
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Lecture5.9
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Revision exercises: verbs 1
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Lecture6.1
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Past tense (imperfect)
Introduction
The name for this tense varies from grammar to grammar. Here we use past tense, but you may find that other grammars of Dutch call it imperfect.
The past tense is used to describe events or situations from the past. So is the perfect tense, but there is a difference. The perfect tense is used for events and situations that are still relevant for the present, whereas the past tense is used merely descriptive. See Perfect or imperfect? for a detailed discussion of the difference between these two tenses. This lesson is about the formation of the past tense.
Formation of the past tense
The formation of the past tense is closely tied up with that of the past participle (see perfect tense). As with all tenses, a division can be made between regular and irregular verbs. Regular verbs can be split into two categories: weak verbs and strong verbs. Both these categories of regular verbs follow certain patterns when forming the past tense. This pattern is explained in the lessons Weak verbs and Strong verbs. Irregular verbs do not have any recognisable pattern in the formation of their past tense, so their forms must be learnt by heart. See Irregular verbs and also check the list with the most common strong and irregular verbs.