The -dt rule: when a Dutch verb ends in -dt

Some Dutch verbs have a stem that ends in -d, such as worden (to become, stem word) and vinden (to find, stem vind). When the present tense adds its -t, you get the ending -dt: hij wordt, jij vindt. You cannot hear the difference, which makes this one of the most common spelling mistakes in Dutch — for learners and native speakers alike.

Follow the normal present-tense rule without exception: ik takes the bare stem, and jij and hij/zij/het add -t. Because the stem already ends in -d, that -t lands right behind it as -dt.

So -dt is simply -d (the stem) plus -t (the ending). It never appears in the ik form (ik word, ik vind) or in the plural (wij worden). Other verbs of this type: rijden (to ride) → hij rijdt, antwoorden (to answer) → hij antwoordt, houden (to hold) → hij houdt.

When jij or je comes directly after the verb — in a question, or when another word starts the sentence — the -t drops and you write only the stem -d.

• Subject first: Jij wordt oud. (You are getting old.) → keeps -dt.
• Question, verb first: Word jij oud? (Are you getting old?) → only -d.
• Something else first: Morgen word je opgehaald. (Tomorrow you get picked up.) → only -d.

This drop happens only with jij/je. With hij the -t always stays, even in a question: Wordt hij boos? (Is he getting angry?), Vindt hij dat leuk? (Does he like that?).

The hardest case is word je versus wordt je, because je can be two different words. When je is the subject (you), it behaves like jij: after the verb the -t drops, so Word je moe? (Are you getting tired?). When je means your (the possessive), the verb still has a real hij-type subject and keeps -dt: Wordt je fiets gemaakt? (Is your bike being repaired?). A quick test: if you can replace je with jij, drop the -t; if you can replace it with jouw (your), keep the -dt.

The past forms follow different rules and do not use -dt: the simple past of worden is werd, and its past participle is geworden. For a quick decision table on d, t or dt, see d, t or dt?.