The Dutch present participle (the form that matches English laughing or sleeping) is the infinitive plus _-d_: _lachen_ becomes _lachend_, _slapen_ becomes _slapend_. You use it to describe a noun (_een slapende kat_, a sleeping cat) or to say what someone is doing at the same moment as the main action (_Lachend liep ze weg_, she walked off laughing). It does far fewer jobs than English -ing, so you hear it much less in everyday speech.
The pattern
Add _-d_ to the infinitive (the dictionary form): _lachen_ becomes _lachend_. Use it before a noun like any adjective, or on its own for something the subject does at the same time as the main action.
- Keep the whole infinitive, so the spelling stays the same: _fietsen_, _fietsend_; _gaan_, _gaand_; _ademen_, _ademend_. The main exception is _zijn_, which gives _zijnde_ in formal writing.
- Before a noun (as an adjective, a describing word) it takes the normal [adjective endings](#/lesson/adjective-endings): _de slapende kat_, _een slapende kat_, _het huilende kind_, but _een huilend kind_.
- On its own (as an adverb, a word that says how something happens) it normally has no ending: _Ze liep lachend weg_. Old fixed phrases like _al doende leert men_ (you learn by doing) are the exception.
- The final _d_ is pronounced as a t, as at the end of any Dutch word ([why d sounds like t](#/lesson/final-devoicing)); in _lachende_ you hear a real d.
Examples
| In de trein zat een huilend kind naast me. | A crying child was sitting next to me on the train. |
|---|---|
| Kijk uit, je trapt bijna op de slapende kat! | Careful, you're about to step on the sleeping cat! |
| Lachend liep Sanne de vergaderzaal uit. | Sanne walked out of the meeting room laughing. |
| Daan fietst elke ochtend fluitend naar zijn werk. | Daan cycles to work every morning, whistling. |
| Ga je lopend of met de fiets? | Are you going on foot or by bike? |
| Giet het kokende water voorzichtig in de theepot. | Carefully pour the boiling water into the teapot. |
| De gemeente zoekt een oplossing voor het groeiende aantal fietsen bij het station. | The municipality is looking for a solution to the growing number of bikes at the station. |
| Mei vertelde stralend dat ze de baan had gekregen. | Beaming, Mei told us she had got the job. |
| Het kantoor is komende week gesloten vanwege een verbouwing. | The office is closed next week because of a renovation. |
Why it works this way
Think of _-end_ as a label that says what someone or something is doing at that moment. _Een huilend kind_ is a child with the label crying. In _Lachend liep ze weg_, the label sticks to _ze_: she left, and she was laughing while she did. The participle never shows the tense; the main verb does that.
English -ing does many more jobs, and Dutch gives most of them to other forms:
- I'm working: _Ik werk_ or _Ik ben aan het werken_ (see [aan het + infinitive](#/lesson/progressive))
- Swimming is healthy: _Zwemmen is gezond_
- I saw her leaving: _Ik zag haar vertrekken_ (see [zien, horen, voelen](#/lesson/perception-verbs))
- He sat reading: _Hij zat te lezen_
So in conversation you meet the participle less than English speakers expect. Short ones like _lachend_ or _fluitend_ are fine in speech, but longer participle phrases (_Zwaaiend naar de buren stapte hij in de auto_) sound like a news report or a novel. A few participles are everyday words, though: _lopend_ (on foot), _komende week_, _volgend jaar_, _spannend_, _dringend_. Some now behave like ordinary adjectives, so they can even follow _zijn_: _De film was echt spannend_.
Remember: _-end_ mainly does the two English -ing jobs that describe: a noun (a crying child) or how someone does something (she left laughing). For the other jobs, Dutch usually reaches for the infinitive.
Watch out
- Not: _Ik ben de afwas doend._ Say: _Ik ben de afwas aan het doen._ (Dutch has no tense like English am doing)
- Not: _Zwemmend is goed voor je rug._ Say: _Zwemmen is goed voor je rug._ (an activity used as a noun is the infinitive)
- Not: _Bas heeft een blaffend hond._ Say: _Bas heeft een blaffende hond._ (_hond_ is a de-word, so it gets the normal _-e_)
- Not: _Het was een spannent boek._ Say: _Het was een spannend boek._ (the ending is spelled _-end_, even though you hear a t)
Quick check
- Fill in the gap with a form of _huilen_: _Ahmed probeerde in de trein een ... baby te troosten._
- Fill in the gap with a form of _passen_: _Carlos zocht een ... cadeau voor de verjaardag van zijn schoonmoeder._
- Choose _zingend_ or _zingen_: _Yara fietste ... naar school._
- Fix the sentence by changing one word: _Fietsend in de regen vind ik vreselijk._
Answers
- _huilende_: _baby_ is a de-word, so the participle gets _-e_ after _een_.
- _passend_: _cadeau_ is a het-word, and after _een_ it takes no ending.
- _zingend_: it describes what Yara did while cycling, so you need the participle.
- _Fietsen in de regen vind ik vreselijk._ The activity is the object here, so you need the infinitive.
Use it today
On your next train or bike ride, name three things you see with a participle before a noun, like _een blaffende hond_ or _een vertrekkende trein_. Then text a friend one sentence such as _Ik kom lopend, ik ben er over tien minuten._