Irregular Present Tense Verbs

Level 1

Short-stemmed verbs like gaan (to go) and doen (to do) are unique because their infinitives end in -n. Their stems are formed by simply dropping that -n.

How It Works

The 'short-stemmed' verbs (kortstammige werkwoorden) consist of gaan (to go), staan (to stand), slaan (to hit), doen (to do), and zien (to see). They are essential for daily communication.

1. Finding the Stem
To find the stem, just remove the -n from the infinitive:

  • gaan → ga
  • staan → sta
  • slaan → sla
  • doen → doe
  • zien → zie

2. The Spelling Shift
In Dutch, a single 'a' at the end of a word (an open syllable) is already long. However, when you add a -t for the 2nd or 3rd person singular, the syllable becomes 'closed.' To keep the 'a' sound long, you must double it: gaat, staat, slaat. The vowels in doen (oe) and zien (ie) are already double-letter combinations and do not change when a -t is added.

3. Conjugation Table
The pattern follows standard endings (-nothing, -t, -en):

  • ik ga / sta / sla / doe / zie
  • jij/hij/u gaat / staat / slaat / doet / ziet
  • wij/jullie/zij gaan / staan / slaan / doen / zien

4. Special Note on Inversion
Just like regular verbs, when jij follows the verb in a question, the -t is dropped: Ga jij mee? (Are you coming along?).

Examples (5)

  1. Ik ga naar de supermarkt.

    I am going to the supermarket.

    Word by Word: I go to the supermarket.

    The stem 'ga' is used for the first person singular (ik).

  2. Het glas staat op de tafel.

    The glass is (standing) on the table.

    Word by Word: The glass stands on the table.

    For 'het glas' (it), we add a -t to the stem 'sta'. The 'a' is doubled to 'aa' to keep the vowel long.

  3. Wat doe jij dit weekend?

    What are you doing this weekend?

    Word by Word: What do you this weekend?

    In questions with 'jij', the -t is dropped. The stem 'doe' remains unchanged.

  4. Zij ziet de vogel in de boom.

    She sees the bird in the tree.

    Word by Word: She sees the bird in the tree.

    The stem 'zie' receives a -t for the third person singular (zij).

  5. Waarom slaat hij de spijker op zijn kop?

    Why is he hitting the nail on the head?

    Word by Word: Why hits he the nail on his head?

    The verb 'slaan' (to hit) follows the same pattern: the stem 'sla' becomes 'slaat' in the third person singular.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing 'ik gaa' or 'ik staa'.

    Ik gaa naar huis.
    Ik ga naar huis.

    Dutch spelling rules forbid doubling a vowel at the end of a word if it is already long by position. 'Ga' is correct.

  • Forgetting the -t in the 2nd/3rd person singular.

    Hij ga naar school.
    Hij gaat naar school.

    Even though 'ga' sounds like a full word, you must add the -t suffix for 'hij', which triggers the spelling change to 'gaat'.

  • Using 'doet' in inversion with 'jij'.

    Wat doet jij?
    Wat doe jij?

    When 'jij' (you) follows the verb, the -t suffix is dropped, just like with regular verbs.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Irregular Present Tense VerbsLevel 1

Learn This First

To understand irregular present tense verbs, you first need to know the standard rules for verb conjugation and how stems are formed. Additionally, knowledge of open and closed syllables is crucial because these irregular verbs often involve vowel changes or spelling adjustments (like 'ga' vs 'gaan') that follow Dutch phonological rules.

Words in This Pattern

gaandoenzienslaan