T-rules

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Dutch grammar Disputes in Dutch language IJ Dutch verbs Dutch conjugation 't kofschip T-rules Dutch declension Concise Dutch declension Extensive Dutch declension Gender in Dutch grammar Dutch orthography History of Dutch orthography Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal Dutch phonology
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The T-rules (T-regels) are a set of rules used in Dutch language to determine whether the second person singular/plural and the first and third person singular of a verb end in t or not. These rules may not be confused with the 't kofschip-rule.

The rules are learnt to the students as follows:

Ik drink nooit t(hee) (I (ik) never drink t(ea))
Jij drinkt alleen t(hee) als je tegenwoordig bent en voorafgaat (You (jij) only drink t(ea) if you are present and preceed)
Gij drinkt altijd t(hee) (You (gij) always drink t(ea))
U drinkt enkel t(hee) als u tegenwoordig is (You (U/u) only drink t(ea) if you are present)
Hij drinkt enkel t(hee) als hij tegenwoordig is (He (hij) only drinks t(ea) if he is present)

However the actual rules are a little bit more complex:

1 Rules for the pronouns jij/je (2nd sing.) and jullie(2nd plur.)
2 Rules for the pronouns gij/ge (2nd sing./plur.)
3 Rules for the third person singular and the pronouns u/U (2nd person sing./plur.)
4 Rules for the first person singular
5 See also

[edit] Rules for the pronouns jij/je (2nd sing.) and jullie(2nd plur.)

In general the pronoun jij/je never makes the verb end on a -t. The only way that this pronoun can make a verb end on a -t, is if it proceeds the verb while the tense is the simple present or present perfect tense, the mood is the indicative mood and the verb is not a modal (actually, if the verb is a modal or the verb is in the future/future perfect tense of the indicative, you can choose between a t-form and a non-t-form).

Jij gaat naar school. (You go to school, simple present indicative + proceeds)
Ga jij naar school? (Do you go to school, pronoun does not proceed)
Je zou naar school gaan.(You would go to school, conditional)
Jij ging naar school. (You went to school, past)
Je kan naar school gaan. (You can go to school, modal, non-t-form)
Je kunt naar school gaan. (You can go to school, modal, t-form)
Kun je naar school gaan? (Can you go to school?, modal, t-form that lost the t due to inversion)
Je zal naar school gaan. (You will go to school, future indicative, non-t-form)
Je zult naar school gaan. (You will go to school, future indicative, t-form)
Zul je naar school gegaan zijn? (Will you have gone to school?, future perfect indicative, t-form that lost the t due to inversion)

There is one exception: if the radical of the verb ends on a -t, the jij-form also ends on a -t

Jij rust. (You rest)
Rust jij? (Do you rest?)

With the verbs houden, rijden and their compositions, the d of the radical drops if the -t drops. In a formal context, ussually the d is not dropped.

Hou jij van bloemen (Do you like flowers?)
Houd jij van bloemen (Do you like flowers?, formal)
Jij houdt van bloemen (You like flowers)

In general the pronoun jullie always makes the verb end on a -en. Actually it can also make the verb end on -t but this form is archaic.

Jullie gaan naar school. (You go to school)
Jullie gaat naar school. (You go to school, archaic)

[edit] Rules for the pronouns gij/ge (2nd sing./plur.)

In general gij/ge makes the verb always end on a -t:

Gij gaat naar school. (You go to school, present indicative + proceeds)
Gaat gij naar school. (Do you go to school, pronoun does not proceed)
Ge zoudt naar school gaan.(You would go to school, conditional)
Gij gingt naar school. (You went to school, past)
Ge kunt naar school gaan. (You can go to school, modal)

If a verb ends on a -t, there is no extra -t added.

Gij rust. (You rest)

If a verb ends on a -d, an extra -t is added.

Houdt gij van bloemen (Do you like flowers?)
Gij houdt van bloemen (You like flowers)

In the subjunctive and in the regular past, the -t can be dropped, but this is not obliged:

Gij neme(t) een lepel suiker. (You take a spoon of sugar, present subjunctive)
Werkte(t) ge hard? (Did you work hard, regular past)

In informal speech, the -t changes into -de, if gij follows the verb:

Zijde gij blind! Ziede gij dat nu niet! (Are you blind! Didn't you see that!,Informal)

In very informal speech, the subject is dropped and the -t changes into -de:

Zijde blind! Ziede dat nu niet! (Are you blind! Didn't you see that!,Informal)

[edit] Rules for the third person singular and the pronouns u/U (2nd person sing./plur.)

The rules for the third person and the pronoun u are the same: they only get a -t in the simple present and present perfect tense of the indicative, if the verb is not a modal.

Hij gaat naar school. (He goes to school, present indicative)
Gaat u naar school. (Do you go to school, present indicative)
Hij zou naar school gaan.(He would go to school, conditional)
U ging naar school. (You went to school, past)
Zij kan naar school gaan. (She can go to school, modal)

[edit] Rules for the first person singular

The first person singular never ends on a -t, only if the verb-radical ends on a -t. For the verbs houden, rijden and their compositions, the d of the radical is also dropped. In a formal context, ussually the d is not dropped.