Adjectives After the Verb
In Dutch, when an adjective follows a linking verb (like zijn, worden, or blijven), it stays in its basic form. You do not add an -e, regardless of the noun's gender or number.
How It Works
When you use an adjective to describe a noun, its position determines its ending. If the adjective comes after a linking verb, it is 'predicative.'
The most important rule for Level 1 learners is: Predicative adjectives normally take no -e ending.
Common linking verbs that trigger this include:
- zijn (to be)
- worden (to become)
- blijven (to stay/remain)
- lijken (to seem)
Because no -e is added, you don't need to worry about spelling changes or whether the noun is a de-word or a het-word. The adjective simply stays in its dictionary form.
Example comparison:
Attributive: De grote auto (The big car) - adds -e.
Predicative: De auto is groot (The car is big) - no -e.
Examples (4)
- Het huis is groot.
The house is big.
Word by Word: The house is big.
Even though 'huis' is a het-word, the adjective 'groot' stays in its base form because it follows the verb 'is'.
- De soep wordt koud.
The soup is getting cold.
Word by Word: The soup becomes cold.
After the linking verb 'wordt' (becomes), the adjective 'koud' does not take an -e.
- De kinderen blijven rustig.
The children stay quiet.
Word by Word: The children stay quiet.
Even with a plural subject (kinderen), the adjective 'rustig' remains unchanged in the predicative position.
- Dat boek lijkt interessant.
That book seems interesting.
Word by Word: That book seems interesting.
'Lijkt' is a linking verb, so 'interessant' stays in its bare form.
Common Mistakes
Adding an -e to the adjective after 'is' or 'zijn'.
De auto is mooie.De auto is mooi.Learners often over-apply the rule for adjectives placed before nouns. When the adjective is after the verb, the -e is never used.
Adding an -e for plural subjects.
De boeken zijn dure.De boeken zijn duur.Unlike languages like French or Spanish, Dutch adjectives after a verb do not change to match plural nouns.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand predicative adjectives, you need to know the verbs they typically follow (zijn and worden) and understand basic Dutch sentence structure to recognize the position of the adjective relative to the verb and the subject.
- zijnTo Be (Zijn)
The pattern specifically applies to adjectives following the verb 'zijn' (to be), so the learner must know how to conjugate this verb first.
Level 1 - wordenTo Become (Worden)
The pattern applies to adjectives following the verb 'worden' (to become), which is one of the primary verbs used in predicative constructions.
Level 1 - Word Order Basics
Understanding basic sentence structure is necessary to identify when an adjective is placed after the verb rather than before a noun.
Foundations
Related Patterns
- Adjective + -eAdjective Inflection
This is the opposite pattern, where adjectives placed before a noun usually do take an -e ending.
Level 1 - Zijn, Worden, Blijven
Predicative adjectives only occur after this specific group of verbs.
Level 3 - Open and Closed Syllables
Since predicative adjectives don't take an -e, they avoid the spelling shifts (like 'groot' to 'grote') that happen in other positions.
Foundations
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
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