toonden

Toonden is the simple past tense form of the Dutch verb tonen, meaning to show or to display. It is used with plural subjects in the past tense (wij/zij). The corresponding singular past tense form is toonde (ik/jij/hij/zij/het toonde). The past participle of tonen is getoond, which is used with the auxiliary hebben to form the present perfect: ik heb getoond, hij heeft getoond.

Usage and meaning

Tonen is a transitive verb that requires a direct object to indicate what is being shown. In past tense, the sentence typically describes an act of presenting, displaying, or proving something. Examples: De docent toonde het diagram aan de klas. De getuigen toonden het bewijs. Tonen can also express demonstration or exhibition, as in het tonen van kunstwerken in een tentoonstelling. In many contexts, laten zien (to show) is a common synonym, but tonen emphasizes the act of displaying or presenting.

Grammatical notes

Ton en follows regular Dutch weak-verb conjugation patterns for the past tense, with toonden used for plural subjects and toonde for singular subjects. The verb’s present tense is toont (hij toont), while the past participle is getoond. Dutch usage typically distinguishes tonen from other verbs for showing, such as laten zien, to avoid ambiguity.

Origin and usage context

Tonen derives from Dutch and shares cognates with other West Germanic languages. It is a common verb in written and spoken Dutch and appears in journalism, literature, and everyday communication. The past tense form toonden remains frequent in narrative past tense descriptions of demonstrations or proofs.