Introduction: Choosing the Right Past Tense

You've now learned two ways to talk about the past in Dutch: the Perfect Tense (V.T.T. - using hebben or zijn + past participle) and the Imperfect Tense (O.V.T. - the simple past, using -de(n)/-te(n) or irregular forms).

While both refer to past events, they are not always interchangeable. Understanding when to use which tense is crucial for sounding natural, especially in spoken Dutch, and for correctly interpreting written texts.

Perfect Tense (V.T.T.) - Summary

• Structure: Subject + hebben/zijn (conjugated) + ... + Past Participle
• Formation: Auxiliary verb conjugated in the present tense, main verb as past participle at the end.
• Core Meaning: Emphasizes a completed action in the past, often with a connection to the present or focusing on the result of the action.
• Common Usage (Spoken Dutch): This is the default tense for talking about single, completed past actions in conversation.
• Ik heb vanmorgen ontbeten. (I had breakfast this morning.)
• Zij is gisteren naar de bioscoop gegaan. (She went to the cinema yesterday.)
• Heb je dat boek gelezen? (Have you read that book?)

Imperfect Tense (O.V.T.) - Summary

• Structure: Subject + Verb Stem + -de(n)/-te(n) OR Subject + Irregular Past Form
• Formation: Single conjugated verb form in the past tense.
• Core Meaning: Describes ongoing situations, states, descriptions, habits, or repeated actions in the past. Also used for narrating sequential events in stories.
• Common Usage:
• Descriptions/States in the past: Het was koud en het regende. (It was cold and it was raining.)
• Past Habits: Vroeger speelde ik altijd voetbal. (I always used to play football.)
• Storytelling: De prins kwam het kasteel binnen en zag de prinses. (The prince entered the castle and saw the princess.)
• With zijn and hebben: was/waren and had/hadden are used very frequently.
• Written language: More common in novels, news reports, historical texts than in casual conversation for single events.

Key Differences and Choosing Which to Use

Scenario	Preferred Tense (Especially in Speech)	Example	Explanation
Single completed action (e.g., yesterday)	Perfect (V.T.T.)	Ik heb gisteren pizza gegeten. (I ate pizza yesterday.)	Focus is on the completed event.
Describing a situation/state in the past	Imperfect (O.V.T.)	Het was gisteren erg druk in de stad. (It was very busy in the city yesterday.)	Describing how things were.
Past habit or repeated action	Imperfect (O.V.T.)	Elke zomer gingen we naar Frankrijk. (Every summer we went to France.)	Describing something that happened regularly over time.
Result of past action is important now	Perfect (V.T.T.)	Ik ben mijn sleutels vergeten! (I have forgotten my keys!)	Focus on the present consequence (I don't have them now).
Storytelling (sequence of events)	Imperfect (O.V.T.) (Often)	Hij stond op, liep naar het raam en keek naar buiten. (He stood up, walked to the window and looked outside.)	Narrating a flow of actions.
Using 'to be' or 'to have' in the past	Imperfect (O.V.T.) (was/had)	Ik was ziek. (I was sick.) Zij had honger. (She was hungry.)	was/waren and had/hadden are the standard past forms for these verbs.

Practical Advice for A2 Learners

• For Speaking: When talking about things you did (completed actions), get comfortable using the Perfect Tense (V.T.T.) as your default. This will sound most natural in conversation.
• For 'was/were' and 'had': Always use the Imperfect Tense (O.V.T.) forms was/waren and had/hadden.
• For Descriptions/Habits: Use the Imperfect Tense (O.V.T.) when describing how things used to be or what you used to do regularly.
• For Reading: Be prepared to encounter the Imperfect Tense (O.V.T.) much more frequently, especially in stories and formal texts.

While both tenses refer to the past, the Perfect Tense (V.T.T.) emphasizes completion and result (common in speech for actions), while the Imperfect Tense (O.V.T.) emphasizes ongoing states, descriptions, habits, or narrative flow (common in writing and for was/had). Understanding the typical usage patterns of both tenses is key to using them appropriately and comprehending Dutch effectively.

A2.9 Reflexive Verbs (Wederkerende Werkwoorden)

1. What are Reflexive Verbs?

Reflexive verbs are verbs where the action performed by the subject reflects back onto the subject itself. In English, this is often expressed with pronouns like "myself," "yourself," "himself," etc. In Dutch, these verbs require a reflexive pronoun (wederkerend voornaamwoord).

Think of actions you do to yourself: washing yourself, dressing yourself, hurrying yourself.

2. Reflexive Pronouns

The reflexive pronoun changes depending on the subject pronoun. You need to memorize these pairs:

Subject Pronoun	Reflexive Pronoun	Example (zich voelen - to feel)
ik	me	ik voel me
jij / je	je	jij voelt je
u	zich	u voelt zich
hij	zich	hij voelt zich
zij / ze	zich	zij voelt zich
het	zich	het voelt zich
wij / we	ons	wij voelen ons
jullie	je	jullie voelen je
zij / ze	zich	zij voelen zich

• Notice that the 3rd person singular (hij, zij, het) and 3rd person plural (zij) all use zich.
• The formal 'you' (u) also uses zich.
• Both 2nd person singular (jij) and 2nd person plural (jullie) use je.

3. Conjugation in the Present Tense

To conjugate a reflexive verb in the present tense:

1. Conjugate the verb normally according to the subject.
2. Add the correct reflexive pronoun immediately after the conjugated verb (in simple main clauses).

Example: zich wassen (to wash oneself)

• ik was me (I wash myself)
• jij wast je (you wash yourself)
• u wast zich (you wash yourself - formal)
• hij wast zich (he washes himself)
• zij wast zich (she washes herself)
• wij wassen ons (we wash ourselves)
• jullie wassen je (you wash yourselves)
• zij wassen zich (they wash themselves)

4. Common A2-Level Reflexive Verbs

Here are some common reflexive verbs you'll encounter:

• zich wassen - to wash oneself
• Hij wast zich elke ochtend. (He washes himself every morning.)
• zich douchen - to shower / take a shower
• Ik douche me 's avonds. (I shower in the evening.)
• zich aankleden - to get dressed
• De kinderen kleden zich aan. (The children are getting dressed.)
• zich uitkleden - to get undressed
• Kleed je snel uit! (Get undressed quickly!)
• zich scheren - to shave (oneself)
• Mijn vader scheert zich elke dag. (My father shaves every day.)
• zich haasten - to hurry (oneself)
• We moeten ons haasten. (We have to hurry.)
• zich voelen - to feel (emotionally or physically)
• Hoe voel je je vandaag? (How do you feel today?)
• Ik voel me niet zo goed. (I don't feel so well.)
• zich vergissen - to be mistaken, to make a mistake
• Sorry, ik heb me vergist. (Sorry, I made a mistake.)
• zich herinneren - to remember
• Herinner je je die dag? (Do you remember that day?)
• zich afvragen - to wonder
• Ik vraag me af waarom. (I wonder why.)
• zich voorstellen - to introduce oneself / to imagine
• Mag ik me even voorstellen? (May I introduce myself?)
• Stel je voor dat we winnen! (Imagine that we win!)
• zich vervelen - to be bored
• De kinderen vervelen zich. (The children are bored.)

5. Word Order

• Main Clause: The reflexive pronoun usually comes directly after the conjugated verb.
• Ik was me in de ochtend.
• Question: The reflexive pronoun comes after the subject.
• Was jij je in de ochtend?
• Subordinate Clause: The reflexive pronoun usually stays close to the subject, before other parts of the sentence, while the verb moves to the end.
• Ik zeg dat ik me in de ochtend was. (I say that I wash myself in the morning.)

6. Reflexive Verbs in the Perfect Tense

Reflexive verbs always form the perfect tense with the auxiliary verb hebben.

Structure: Subject + hebben (conjugated) + reflexive pronoun + ... + Past Participle

• zich wassen -> gewassen
• Ik heb me gewassen. (I have washed myself.)
• Hij heeft zich gewassen. (He has washed himself.)
• zich haasten -> gehaast
• Wij hebben ons gehaast. (We have hurried.)
• zich vergissen -> vergist (inseparable prefix, no ge-)
• Jij hebt je vergist. (You have made a mistake.)

Key Points:

• Reflexive verbs need a reflexive pronoun (me, je, zich, ons).
• The pronoun must match the subject.
• The verb conjugates normally.
• In the perfect tense, reflexive verbs always use hebben.