A weak verb: if the stem of the infinitive ends in t, k, f, s, ch or p (remember ’t kofschip), the past takes -te and the participle -t, otherwise -de and -d: woonde, gewoond. → Werkte or woonde: the regular imperfect
Every sentence comes from this course’s word lists or grammar topics. The verb form is highlighted, and the line below says which tense and person it is.
Ze woont alleen.She lives alone.
woont — Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd · jij/je; Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd · hij/zij/het
Woon je nog steeds in Zwolle?Do you still live in Zwolle?
Mijn grootouders woonden vroeger op een boerderij.My grandparents used to live on a farm.
We wonen hier nu bijna een jaar.We have lived here for almost a year now.
Mistakes English speakers often make
WrongIk leef in Utrecht, vlak bij het station.
RightIk woon in Utrecht, vlak bij het station.
English “live” has two meanings. In Dutch they are two verbs: wonen is to have your home somewhere, leven is to be alive. Ik leef in Utrecht says that you are alive there.
A common trap
WrongIk heb tien jaar in Zwolle gewoont.
RightIk heb tien jaar in Zwolle gewoond.
In English the participle always ends in “-ed”, whether you hear a /t/ or a /d/: “worked, lived, played”. Take that habit into Dutch and you will write gewoont and gespeelt after the sound. You cannot hear the difference when speaking, because a d at the end of a word sounds like t, but in writing it matters.
The forms are calculated from the rules of the language — twice, in two independent ways — and checked against every hand-written form in this course. The example sentences are the course’s own.