Dutch Language/The verb "to be" in Dutch

Learning Dutch - Lesson 2: The verb "to be" in Dutch

Lesson overview

 * You will learn the verb "to be" in several tenses.

Present Simple
Ik ben = I am Jij bent = You are Hij/zij/het is = He/she/it is Wij zijn = We are Jullie zijn/u bent = You are Zij zijn = They are Gij zijt = Thou art

Past Simple
Ik was = I was Jij was = You were Hij/zij/het was = He/she/it was Wij waren = We were Jullie waren/u was = You were Zij waren = They were

Present Perfect
Ik ben geweest = I have been Jij bent geweest = You have been Hij/zij/het is geweest = He/she/it has been Wij zijn geweest = We have been Jullie zijn geweest/u bent geweest = You have been Zij zijn geweest = They have been

Past Perfect
Ik was geweest = I had been Jij was geweest = You have been Hij/zij/het was geweest = He/she/it has been Wij waren geweest = We had been Jullie waren geweest/u was geweest = You had been Zij waren geweest = They had been

Notes: Just learn the present and past simple by heart. With the perfect's just put "geweest" after the simple form.

Handy sentences with to be
Ik ben groot = I am tall Ik ben klein = I am short Ik ben ... jaar oud = I am ... years old Ik was jong = I was young Ik ben oud = I am old Ik was jong, maar nu ben ik oud = I was young, but I am old now.

Notes: Learn "to be" by heart, and you will quite easily make Dutch sentences. We will soon cover more advanced "to be" grammar.