Dutch in everyday situations · Grammar review

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Dutch in everyday situations

Reviews practise both sides: wherever Lukas and Lena would say something differently, you do it once as each.

Vanavond ga ik spelen

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FormExampleMeaning
I am going to play.
You are going to sing.
He is going to dance.
We are going to cook.
You all are going to work.
They are going to come.
Are you going to play?
The concert starts in ten minutes.

For a plan use plus an infinitive at the end: , , , . With an inverted , use :

A present verb with a future time is also natural: . means in ten minutes; means ten minutes ago. Use the perfect for a completed earlier action:

Gezien, gehoord, gevonden

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FormExampleMeaning
I have seen the cat.
I have heard music.
I have found my key.
I have looked for Max.
What have you done?
I have eaten cake.
I have gone home.
I have not found him.

Learn these common participles: zien → gezien, horen → gehoord, vinden → gevonden, zoeken → gezocht, doen → gedaan, eten → gegeten. They normally use . Gaan → gegaan uses for movement to a destination.

Put before the participle: . means nothing: . gives a background state, while a perfect describes an action: .

Eerst, daarna

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FormExampleMeaning
First I worked.
After that I danced.
The concert started.
Something fell.
I wrote a report.
I screamed.
At eight the concert started.
Then it was dark.

Use for first and for after that. A time or sequence phrase first makes the auxiliary come before the subject: . The participle remains at the end.

Learn beginnen → begonnen, vallen → gevallen, schrijven → geschreven, schreeuwen → geschreeuwd, dansen → gedanst. A concert beginning and something falling use : , . Writing, screaming and dancing normally use .

Ik zat, jij sliep

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FormExampleMeaning
I was sitting on the bench.
We were sitting on the bench.
You were asleep during the concert.
They were asleep at home.
He was playing the trumpet.
We were playing music.
I closed my eyes.
Mum took photos.

Use simple past for background states and familiar repeated activities. In addition to and , learn zitten → zat/zaten, slapen → sliep/sliepen, zien → zag/zagen, horen → hoorde/hoorden. Singular persons share one form; plural persons share another. Spelen → speelde/speelden has -de; werken → werkte/werkten has -te.

Use a perfect for a completed action: , . Early childhood phrases are now part of this pattern. means when in past narration and puts the verb last in its clause: .

Beste Anna

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FormExampleMeaning
Dear Anna, how are you?
On Saturday there was the festival.
I worked at the festival.
My colleague danced.
It was great fun.
Tomorrow I will buy a stamp.
I send the card to Anna.
I finish my card with Best wishes.

Open an informal postcard with and finish with and your name. Use for an event date, or just in a short story. A perfect tells what you did: , .

Describe background with . Use present plus a future time for a plan: . Keep the verb second: , not .

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