Werkwoordsvorming

Werkwoordsvorming refers to the process of creating the various forms of a Dutch verb for use in sentences. Dutch verb conjugation changes a verb depending on tense, mood, aspect, and the subject’s person and number. The basic word form is the infinitive, which can be used as a noun or combined with te to form constructions such as te doen.

Regular verbs form their present and past tenses with a simple addition of suffixes. In the present tense the stem remains unchanged; the endings are –(t) for singular subjects and –en for plural subjects, for example: werken → ik werk, jij werkt, zij werken. In the past tense a short vowel is usually inserted and the stem ends in –d or –t, as in ik werkte, jij werkte, zij werkten. The perfect combines the auxiliary hebben or zijn with the past participle, for instance ik heb gewerkt or hij is aangekomen.

Irregular verbs do not follow these patterns. Their stems change and many have unpredictable past participles: hebben → had → gehad, zijn → was → geweest. Dutch organizes verbs into eight groups based on stem and termination patterns; certain groups always use hebben as auxiliary, others always use zijn.

Verb formation also encompasses modal verbs (kunnen, moeten, zullen), the passive voice, and reflexive verbs. Passive construction combines the auxiliary worden with the past participle (e.g., de brief wordt verstuurd). Reflexive verbs incorporate a reflexive pronoun (e.g., samen lachen → hij lacht zich samen).

A comprehensive understanding of werkwoordsvorming is essential for accurate Dutch grammar, enabling correct tense usage, subject agreement, and verb spreading in complex sentence structures.