A regular Dutch verb builds its past participle (the form after _heb_ or _heeft_, like worked in I have worked) from three parts: _ge-_, the stem, and _-t_ or _-d_. So _werken_ gives _gewerkt_ and _wonen_ gives _gewoond_. In the sentence, the participle goes to the end: _Ik heb vandaag gewerkt._
The pattern
For most regular verbs, the past participle is _ge-_ plus the stem plus _-t_ or _-d_, and it goes at the end of the sentence.
- The stem is the _ik_ form of the verb ([finding the stem](#/lesson/verb-stem)): _werk_, _woon_, _maak_, _fiets_.
- The stem keeps its own spelling: _maak_ gives _gemaakt_, _fiets_ gives _gefietst_.
- Use _'t kofschip_ to choose: in most cases, a stem ending in t, k, f, s, ch or p gives _-t_, and any other ending gives _-d_: _gewoond_, _gebeld_, _geleerd_.
- If the stem already ends in t or d, you do not write a second one: _gewacht_, _geantwoord_.
- Regular verbs whose infinitive (the dictionary form) has v or z right before _-en_ take _-d_, even though the stem is written with f or s: _leven_ gives _geleefd_, _reizen_ gives _gereisd_. A v or z elsewhere in the verb does not count: _vissen_ gives _gevist_. [The next lesson](#/lesson/t-kofschip) covers this in detail.
- Verbs with the prefix _be-_ or _ver-_ (and a few others) get no _ge-_: _betalen_ gives _betaald_ ([participles without ge-](#/lesson/participles-without-ge)). Irregular verbs such as _eten_ (_gegeten_) have [their own forms](#/lesson/irregular-participles).
Examples
| Ik heb gisteren hard gewerkt. | I worked hard yesterday. |
|---|---|
| Sanne heeft drie jaar in Utrecht gewoond. | Sanne lived in Utrecht for three years. |
| Daan heeft een taart gemaakt. | Daan made a cake. |
| Fatima heeft vanochtend een uur gefietst. | Fatima cycled for an hour this morning. |
| Het heeft de hele dag geregend. | It rained all day. |
| Joris heeft de buurvrouw gebeld. | Joris called the neighbour. |
| Wij hebben een kwartier op de bus gewacht. | We waited a quarter of an hour for the bus. |
| Mei heeft met de huisarts gepraat. | Mei talked to the GP. |
| Lotte heeft koffie gezet. | Lotte made coffee. |
Why it works this way
The six letters in _'t kofschip_ stand for voiceless sounds: you make them with air only, with no buzz in your throat. Put a hand on your throat and say a long s, then a long z, and you will feel the difference. After a voiceless sound, t is the natural partner. That is also why _reizen_, with its buzzing z, gives _gereisd_.
You will not hear the d, though. At the end of a Dutch word, d sounds like t, so _gewoond_ and _gewerkt_ both end in a t sound. The choice shows in spelling, and it comes back later in the simple past (_woonde_, _werkte_).
Think of the participle as a sandwich: _ge-_ and the t or d are the bread, the stem is the filling. You never change the filling, so _maak_ stays _maak_ in _gemaakt_.
For word order, picture two bookends: _heb_ or _heeft_ on one side, the participle at the end, and the rest of the sentence in between. English keeps have worked together; Dutch pulls them apart. A phrase with a preposition may sometimes follow the participle, but putting it before is the safe choice.
Remember: _'t kofschip_ is an old type of Dutch sailing ship, and its name holds the letters t, k, f, s, ch and p. Stem ends in one of them? Usually t. Any other letter? Usually d.
Watch out
- Not: _Ik heb gebeld de huisarts._ Say: _Ik heb de huisarts gebeld._ (the participle goes after the object, at the end)
- Not: _Ik heb soep gemakt._ Say: _Ik heb soep gemaakt._ (keep the stem _maak_ exactly as it is)
- Not: _Wij hebben in Leiden gewoont._ Say: _Wij hebben in Leiden gewoond._ (n is not in _'t kofschip_, so write d, even though you hear t)
- Not: _Ik heb op de trein gewachtt._ Say: _Ik heb op de trein gewacht._ (the stem already ends in t, so you add nothing)
Quick check
- Fill in the participle of _koken_: _Priya heeft gisteren ..._
- Fill in the participle of _horen_: _Heb jij de bel ...?_
- Choose _gespeelt_ or _gespeeld_: _De kinderen hebben buiten ..._
- Fix the sentence: _Carlos heeft gehuurd een fiets._
Answers
- _gekookt_: the stem _kook_ ends in k, which is in _'t kofschip_.
- _gehoord_: the stem _hoor_ ends in r, so d.
- _gespeeld_: the stem _speel_ ends in l, so d.
- _Carlos heeft een fiets gehuurd._ The participle goes to the end.
Use it today
Tonight, write three true sentences about your day with _ik heb_ and a regular verb, such as _werken_, _fietsen_ or _koken_. Check each one: is the participle at the end, and did _'t kofschip_ give you t or d?