T-rules

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dutch grammar series

Dutch grammar

This box: view  talk  edit

The T(ea)-rules (T(hee)-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 must not be confused with the 't kofschip-rule.

The rules are taught 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 be present and go forward)
  • 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 be present)
  • Hij drinkt enkel t(hee) als hij tegenwoordig is (He (hij) only drinks t(ea) if he be present)

However the actual rules for Dutch conjugation are more complex.

Contents

[edit] Second person pronouns

[edit] Jij/je (2nd singular)

The pronoun jij/je only makes the verb end in -t if it precedes the verb, and if the verb is in the simple present or present perfect indicative. Modal verbs and the future/conditional auxiliary zullen allow forms with and without -t (but the subject pronoun must still precede the verb for the -t form to appear).

  • Jij gaat naar school. ("You go to school", simple present indicative, jij precedes verb)
  • Ga jij naar school? ("Do you go to school?", jij does not precede verb)
  • Je zou naar school gaan. ("You would go to school", conditional auxiliary)
  • Jij ging naar school. ("You went to school", past tense)
  • Je kan naar school gaan. ("You can go to school", modal form without t)
  • Je kunt naar school gaan. ("You can go to school", modal t-form, je precedes verb)
  • Kun je naar school gaan? ("Can you go to school?", modal, je does not precede verb)
  • Je zal naar school gaan. ("You will go to school", future auxiliary without t)
  • Je zult naar school gaan. ("You will go to school", future auxiliary t-form, je precedes verb)
  • Zul je naar school gegaan zijn? ("Will you have gone to school?", future auxiliary, je does not precede verb)

If the radical of the verb end in -t, the jij form always ends in -t:

  • Jij rust. ("You rest", je precedes verb)
  • Rust jij? ("Do you rest?", je does not precede verb)

With the verbs houden, rijden and verbs derived from them, the -d of the radical can be dropped if it is not followed by -t. In a formal context, usually 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", jij precedes verb)

[edit] Jullie (2nd plural)

The pronoun jullie always makes the verb end in -en. The ending -t is also possible, but this form is archaic.

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

===Gij/ge (2nd sing./plur.)=== colton

The pronoun gij/ge makes the verb end in -t, whether the pronoun precede or follow the verb. Modal and auxiliary forms also end in -t:

  • Gij gaat naar school. ("You go to school", present indicative, gij precedes)
  • Gaat gij naar school. ("Do you go to school?", gij follows)
  • 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)

No extra -t is added if the verb stem already end in -t. The ending -t is added after -d:

  • Gij rust. ("You rest")
  • 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 obligatory:

  • 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 (only in Flanders/Brabant), the -t changes into -de, if gij follow the verb:

  • Zijde gij blind! Ziede gij dat nu niet! ("Are you blind! Didn't you see that!", I informal)

In very informal speech (only in Flanders/Brabant), 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] Third person singular and u/U

The rules for third person singular subjects and the pronoun u/U (2nd person sing./plur.) are the same: the verb takes -t in the simple present and present perfect tense of the indicative. Modal verbs and zullen have forms without -t.

  • 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)


The first person singular for non-modal verb is identical to the radical. The form can end in a vowel or in a consonant (including t). For the verbs houden, rijden and their derivatives, the -d of the radical is also dropped. In a formal context, usually the d is not dropped.

  • Ik ga naar school ("I go to school")
  • Ik rust ("I rest", radical ends in t)
  • Ik hou van bloemen ("I love flowers", form without -d)
  • Ik houd van bloemen ("I love flowers", form with -d, formal)

[edit] See also