When _jij_ or _je_ is the subject (the person doing the action) and comes right after the verb, the verb loses its _-t_ ending. You say _jij werkt_, but _Werk jij morgen?_ and _Morgen werk je thuis_. With _hij_ and _u_ the _-t_ stays: _Werkt hij?_ _Werkt u?_
The pattern
If _jij_ or _je_ is the subject and follows the verb directly, drop the _-t_ ending. For most verbs this gives the same form as after _ik_: _ik werk_, so _Werk jij?_
- Yes or no questions: _Werk jij morgen?_
- Questions with a question word: _Waar woon je?_
- Inversion, which means the verb and the subject swap places because the sentence starts with something else, such as a time: _Morgen werk je thuis._ More in [Inversion](#/lesson/inversion).
- When _jij_ or _je_ comes before the verb, the _-t_ is back: _Jij werkt morgen._
- With _hij_, _zij_ (she), _u_, names and words like _je zus_ (your sister), the _-t_ stays: _Werkt hij?_ _Werkt u?_ _Werkt Sanne?_
- If the stem itself ends in t, that t stays: _eten_, _ik eet_, _Eet jij vis?_
Examples
| Jij werkt bij de gemeente, toch? | You work for the municipality, right? |
|---|---|
| Fatima, werk jij morgen? | Fatima, are you working tomorrow? |
| Morgen werk je thuis. | Tomorrow you are working from home. |
| Waar woon je, Mei? | Where do you live, Mei? |
| Fiets jij naar je werk? | Do you cycle to work? |
| Hoe laat begin je vandaag? | What time do you start today? |
| Eet jij vis, Ahmed? | Do you eat fish, Ahmed? |
| Werkt hij vandaag? | Is he working today? |
| Mevrouw De Vries, woont u hier? | Mrs De Vries, do you live here? |
| Werkt je zus ook in Utrecht? | Does your sister work in Utrecht too? |
Why it works this way
In English, a question with an ordinary verb such as "work" needs "do": Do you work? Dutch does not use a helper like that here. You simply put the verb first, as in [Yes or no questions](#/lesson/yes-no-questions), and the verb changes shape a little.
A handy picture: the _-t_ is something the verb wears only when _jij_ stands in front of it. As soon as the verb jumps ahead of _jij_ or _je_, it takes the _-t_ off and goes back to the plain form you know from [the present tense](#/lesson/present-tense). So the question and the answer use the same verb form: _Werk jij morgen? Ja, ik werk morgen._
The same happens with other common verbs: _jij gaat_, but _Ga jij ook naar het feest?_ And _jij hebt_, but _Heb jij tijd?_ You will practise _hebben_ and _zijn_ in [the next lesson](#/lesson/zijn-and-hebben).
If you speak German, take care: German keeps the ending in Arbeitest du?, so the _-t_ easily sneaks back in.
Remember: verb first, then _jij_ or _je_? Drop the _-t_ ending, and you usually land on the _ik_ form.
Watch out
- Not: _Werkt jij morgen?_ Say: _Werk jij morgen?_ (_jij_ comes right after the verb, so no _-t_)
- Not: _Morgen werkt je thuis._ Say: _Morgen werk je thuis._ (the sentence starts with a time, so _je_ follows the verb)
- Not: _Woon u in Utrecht?_ Say: _Woont u in Utrecht?_ (only _jij_ and _je_ drop the _-t_, _u_ keeps it)
- Not: _Spreek hij Nederlands?_ Say: _Spreekt hij Nederlands?_ (_hij_ keeps the _-t_)
- Not: _Werk je broer vandaag?_ Say: _Werkt je broer vandaag?_ (here _je_ means "your", and the subject is _je broer_, like _hij_)
Quick check
- Fill in the gap with _werken_: _... jij vandaag op kantoor?_
- Choose _fiets_ or _fietst_: _Morgen ... Sanne naar het station._
- Fill in the gap with _wonen_: _... u in Rotterdam?_
- Fix the sentence: _Waar woont je?_
Answers
- _Werk_: _jij_ follows the verb, so the _-t_ drops.
- _fietst_: _Sanne_ works like _zij_ (she), so the _-t_ stays.
- _Woont_: _u_ keeps the _-t_.
- _Waar woon je?_: _je_ comes right after the verb, so no _-t_.
Use it today
Think of a new colleague or neighbour and write three questions for them, such as _Waar woon je?_, _Werk je morgen?_ and _Fiets je naar je werk?_ Read them aloud, check that no _-t_ sneaks in, and ask one of them for real this week.