Present perfect
Regular verbs
In the Dutch course A1.2, you learn how to conjugate verbs in perfect tense. Now you can to talk about the past! When we talk about the past - with the present perfect tense (perfectum) - we use a version of hebben or zijn + participle.
The rule for regular verbs is:
hebben + ge+stam+t/d
- Is the final letter of the stam in SoFT KeTCHuP? -> +t
- Is the final letter of the stam not in SoFT KeTCHuP? -> +d
Follow these rules, and you'll already sound pretty fluent.
Exercises
..
Irregular verbs
In addition to the regular verbs, there are quite some irregular verbs. As the word 'onregelmatig' already says, these verbs don't follow the rule, so you have to study them. For example with Quizlet:
Onregelmatige Verba Perfectum | Quizlet
However, I found a trick for you. With the following Quizlet lists, you can study all irregular perfectum of the book Taaltalent 1.
- ge + infinitief (21 verbs)
- ij > ee (8 verbs)
- i > o (4 verbs)
- e > o (4 verbs)
- e > o (lang) (3 verbs --> it has a long sound, but we write a single vowel)
- -cht (4 verbs)
- regelmatig (4 verbs -> these have an irregular imperfectum but regular perfectum)
- overig (5 verbs)
- ie > o (1 verb -> for now it's placed in 'overig')
- i > e (1 verbs -> for now it's placed in 'overig')
- ui > o (0 verbs -> you'll meet this category in Taaltalent 2)
Perfectum: hebben / zijn
Usually, we use the verb hebben as an auxiliar in the perfect tense. Although, some verbs go together with a conjugation of the verb zijn. While some say that the verbs that go with zijn have something to do with a movement, it's not a clear rule. You better study them by heart. For example,
- Mijn zus is vorige week naar Madrid geweest.
(My sister 'has gone' to Madrid last week.) - Ze is daar vier dagen gebleven.
(Ze 'has stayed' there for four days.)
Exercises
..