Verbs according to function 4
- Lecture1.1
  
  Main verbs 10 min
- Lecture1.2
  
  Auxiliary verbs 45 min
- Lecture1.3
  
  Copular verbs 20 min
- Lecture1.4
  
  Verb exercises: verbs according to function 10 min
Verbs according to meaning 7
- Lecture2.1
  
  Transitive and intransitive verbs 10 min
- Lecture2.2
  
  Reflexive verbs 30 min
- Lecture2.3
  
  Modal verbs 45 min
- Lecture2.4
  
  Modal verbs: zou 30 min
- Lecture2.5
  
  Modal verbs: hoeven te 30 min
- Lecture2.6
  
  Position verbs 30 min
- Lecture2.7
  
  Verb exercises: verbs according to meaning 45 min
Verbs according to form 3
- Lecture3.1
  
  Separable verbs 30 min
- Lecture3.2
  
  Phrasal verbs 15 min
- Lecture3.3
  
  Verb exercises: verbs according to form 30 min
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.
- Lecture4.1
  
  Weak verbs 30 min
- Lecture4.2
  
  Strong verbs 20 min
- Lecture4.3
  
  Irregular verbs 30 min
- Lecture4.4
  
  Conjugation of new verbs 20 min
- Lecture4.5
  
  List of strong and irregular verbs 40 min
- Lecture4.6
  
  Verb exercises: verbs according to conjugation 30 min
Tenses 9
- Lecture5.1
  
  Infinitives and finite verbs 15 min
- Lecture5.2
  
  Present tense 01 hour
- Lecture5.3
  
  Past tense (imperfect) 30 min
- Lecture5.4
  
  Perfect tense 01 hour
- Lecture5.5
  
  Perfect or imperfect? 30 min
- Lecture5.6
  
  Pluperfect 10 min
- Lecture5.7
  
  Durative aspect 45 min
- Lecture5.8
  
  Future aspect 50 min
- Lecture5.9
  
  Verb exercises: tenses
Revision exercises: verbs 1
- Lecture6.1
  
  Revision exercises

Perfect tense

Introduction

The perfect tense is used to describe events or situations from the past. So is the past tense (imperfect), 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 (imperfect) is used merely descriptive. See Perfect or imperfect? for a detailed discussion of the difference between these two tenses. This lesson is about grammatical aspects: the formation of the past participle, the choice of auxiliary, and the structure of sentences with a perfect tense.

The perfect tense consists of a finite form of an auxiliary verb and a past participle. There are two auxiliary verbs that can be used to form the perfect tense: hebben and zijn. For the present tense conjugation of hebben and zijn, see Present tense; for their past tense and (past participles) see List of dtrong and irregular verbs.

Formation of the past participle

For most verbs, the formation of the past participle follows a regular pattern, but there are a number of irregular verbs that you will need to study. However, most past participles have in common that they begin with the prefix ge-. The only exception to this is verbs with a so-called unstressed prefix (see below).

past participle Dutch	past participle English
geweest	been
gewoond	lived
gegaan	gone
gehad	had
gegeven	given

As far as the ending of the past participle is concerned, its formation is closely tied up with that of the past 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 participle. This pattern is explained in the lesson Weak verbs and Strong verbs. Irregular verbs do not have any recognisable pattern in the formation of their past participle, so their forms must be learnt by heart. See Irregular verbs and also check the list with the most common strong and irregular verbs

Formation of the past participle of verbs with separable and inseparable prefixes

1. Verbs with separable prefixes

There is a fairly large group of verbs with separable, stressed prefixes. In the past participle of a so-called separable verb this prefix comes before the prefix of the past participle, ge-:

infinitive	past participle
uitnodigen	uitgenodigd	to invite
aanbranden	aangebrand	to burn (food)

Here are some examples of this type of verb in context:

Sara heeft Kenny uitgenodigd. Sara has invited Kenny.
Is er al iets aangebrand? Has anything (been) burnt yet?

2. Verbs with unstressed prefixes

There are also verbs with unstressed prefixes. These prefixes do not separate and they are limited in number. Past participles of verbs in this category do not receive the prefix -ge. The most common unstressed prefixes are:

	infinitive	past participle
be-	bezichtigen	bezichtigd	to view
ge-	gebeuren	gebeurd	to happen
her-	herhalen	herhaald	to repeat
ont-	ontmoeten	ontmoet	to meet
ver-	vertellen	verteld	to tell

Here are some examples of this type of verb in context:

Vanaf de boot hebben we de havens bezichtigd. From the boat we viewed the ports.
Hannah heeft Alan op de universiteit ontmoet. Hannah has met Alan at the university.

Choices of auxiliary verbs hebben and zijn

Two different auxiliaries are used to form the perfect tense: hebben and zijn.

Ik heb al een paar keer bij Karin en Simone gegeten.
I have eaten at Karin and Simone’s a few times already.

We zijn naar het museum Plantin-Moretus geweest.
We have been to the museum Plantin-Moretus.

Most verbs take the auxiliary hebben.

There is a limited number of verbs that will always take the auxiliary zijn, such as komen, gaan, beginnen, stoppen, opstaan, vertrekken, worden, blijven and zijn (as a copular verb; see the above example).

However, verbs of motion can take either hebben or zijn. This depends on whether the destination of the movement is present or not. If the destination is present, zijn is used. If the destination is absent, hebben must be used. This is illustrated in the example below:

We zijn naar de Grote Markt gewandeld.
We walked to the central square.

We hebben een paar uur door de stad gewandeld.
We walked through town for a few hours.

Place of past participle in the clause

In main clauses in the perfect tense, the past participle occurs in the penultimate or final position (see Sentence structure). The finite verb in a main clause (= the auxiliary verb in the perfect tense) always occurs in second position (in declaratives) or in first position (yes/no questions).

Ik ben nog nooit naar Parijs geweest.
I have never travelled to Paris yet.

We hebben een museum bekeken in Antwerpen.
We visited a museum in Antwerp.

Hebben jullie de jassen al opgehangen?
Have you hung up your coats yet?

Heb je het leuk gehad op vakantie?
Have you had a nice time on your holiday?

In a subordinate clause in the perfect tense, both the past participle and the finite verb (i.e. auxiliary) occur in the penultimate or final place together. In the sentences below, the subordinate clause is underlined.

We hebben besloten om naar Antwerpen te gaan omdat we daar nog nooit geweest zijn.
We have decided to go to Antwerp because we have never been there.

Nadat ik jou ontmoet heb, ben ik meteen naar huis gegaan.
After I met you, I went home straight away.

However, there is no preferred order of auxiliary and past participle:

We hebben besloten om naar Antwerpen te gaan omdat we daar nog nooit zijn geweest.
We have decided to go to Antwerp because we have never been there.

Nadat ik jou heb ontmoet, ben ik meteen naar huis gegaan.
After I met you, I went home straight away.

Both options are equally acceptable.

Prev Past tense (imperfect)

Next Perfect or imperfect?

Verbs according to function 4

Verbs according to meaning 7

Verbs according to form 3

Verbs according to conjugation 6

Tenses 9

Revision exercises: verbs 1