hebben

Hebben is a Dutch verb meaning "to have" and is one of the most common verbs in the language. It functions both as a main verb indicating possession and as an auxiliary verb used to form perfect tenses with most other verbs. The form is irregular in usage rather than in many unique forms: the stem is heb- and the endings vary by person.

In the present tense the forms are: ik heb, jij hebt, u heeft, hij heeft, wij hebben, jullie hebben, zij hebben. The simple past (imperfect) forms are: ik had, jij had, u had, hij had, wij hadden, jullie hadden, zij hadden. The past participle is gehad. The present perfect is formed with hebben plus the past participle, e.g., ik heb gehad, jij hebt gehad, hij heeft gehad, wij hebben gehad, jullie hebben gehad, zij hebben gehad. The pluperfect is formed with had plus the participle (ik had gehad). The future is formed with zullen hebben, e.g., ik zal hebben.

Usage examples illustrate its dual role. As possession: “Ik heb een boek.” Negation can be expressed with geen: “Ik heb geen geld.” As auxiliary for main verbs: “Ik heb gegeten,” “Zij heeft gewerkt.” In Dutch, many verbs use hebben as the default auxiliary in perfect tenses; a small set uses zijn, typically for intransitive verbs of movement or state change.

Etymology traces hebben to Old Dutch hebben, with cognates in other West Germanic languages; it is related to the English have.