To find the stem of a Dutch verb, take the infinitive (the dictionary form, like _werken_, to work) and drop _-en_: _werken_ becomes _werk_. For most verbs, this stem (the core of the verb) is exactly what you say after _ik_: _ik werk_, I work. Sometimes the end of the stem needs a small spelling repair.
The pattern
The stem is the infinitive minus _-en_. Sometimes the end of the stem needs a spelling repair.
- No repair: _werken_, _werk_; _fietsen_, _fiets_.
- A stressed (strongly pronounced) _a_, _e_, _o_ or _u_ followed by one consonant letter and _-en_ is long, so the stem writes it twice: _lopen_, _loop_; _maken_, _maak_; _parkeren_, _parkeer_.
- A double consonant becomes single: _zitten_, _zit_; _bellen_, _bel_; _hebben_, _heb_.
- A _v_ or _z_ at the end becomes _f_ or _s_: _leven_, _leef_; _reizen_, _reis_; _lezen_, _lees_.
- Other letters stay as they are. A _d_ stays _d_, even though it sounds like _t_: _worden_, _ik word_.
Examples
| Ik werk in Rotterdam. | I work in Rotterdam. |
|---|---|
| Ik loop naar het station. | I walk to the station. |
| Ik maak een boterham. | I'm making a sandwich. |
| Ik zit in de trein. | I'm sitting on the train. |
| Ik bel de huisarts. | I'm calling the GP. |
| Ik geef Daan een cadeau. | I'm giving Daan a present. |
| Ik reis elke dag naar Utrecht. | I travel to Utrecht every day. |
| Ik lees de krant. | I read the newspaper. |
Why it works this way
The stem keeps the sound of the infinitive. The spelling changes to show that sound.
- In _lo-pen_, the _o_ ends an open syllable (one ending in a vowel), so one letter sounds long. In _loop_, the _p_ closes the syllable, and a single _o_ would sound short, as in _op_. See [open and closed syllables](#/lesson/open-closed-syllables).
- In _zit-ten_, the double _t_ keeps the _i_ short before _-en_. At the end of a word, one _t_ does that job alone.
- Dutch speakers pronounce a final _v_ or _z_ as _f_ or _s_, and for these two letters the spelling follows the sound. More in [v and f, z and s](#/lesson/v-f-z-s).
The vowel repair needs stress. In _o-pe-nen_ and _te-ke-nen_, the _e_ in front of _-nen_ is weak and unstressed, so it stays single: _open_, _teken_.
This is a strong pattern, not a law. A few very common verbs go their own way, such as _komen_ (_ik kom_), _gaan_ (_ik ga_) and _zijn_ (_ik ben_); see [the irregular present](#/lesson/irregular-present). Some English loan verbs keep their English look: _updaten_, _ik update_.
Remember: chop and tidy. Chop off _-en_, then tidy the end: a long vowel gets two letters, a double letter loses one, and _v_ and _z_ become _f_ and _s_.
Watch out
- Not: _Ik werken in Utrecht._ Say: _Ik werk in Utrecht._ (after _ik_ comes the stem; in English "work" does both jobs, in Dutch it does not)
- Not: _Ik lop naar de bus._ Say: _Ik loop naar de bus._ (the long _o_ needs two letters in a closed syllable)
- Not: _Ik zitt in de trein._ Say: _Ik zit in de trein._ (one _t_ is enough at the end of a word)
- Not: _Ik reiz met de bus naar Leiden._ Say: _Ik reis met de bus naar Leiden._ (_z_ becomes _s_ at the end)
Quick check
- Fill in the stem of _wonen_: _Ik ... in Amersfoort._
- Fill in the stem of _bellen_: _Ik ... morgen de gemeente._
- Choose _verhuiz_ or _verhuis_: _Ik ... in juni naar Groningen._
- Fix the sentence: _Ik schrijv een kaart voor Bas._
Answers
- _woon_ (the long _o_ in _wo-nen_ needs two letters in the stem)
- _bel_ (the double _l_ becomes single)
- _verhuis_ (_z_ becomes _s_ at the end)
- _Ik schrijf een kaart voor Bas._ (_v_ becomes _f_ at the end)
Use it today
Write five sentences about your weekday, each starting with _ik_, such as _ik fiets naar mijn werk_ or _ik eet een boterham_. Check every stem against its infinitive. Then continue with [the present tense](#/lesson/present-tense), where you build the other forms on this stem.