Dutch inseparable verbs (verbs whose first part stays attached): verkopen (to sell), betalen (to pay) and ontmoeten (to meet)
Keep the prefix attached in ik verkoop (I sell), and form verkocht (sold) without adding ge-; use stress or a dictionary for prefixes with mixed patterns.
Ik verkoop morgen mijn fiets. (I am selling my bicycle tomorrow.) Keep ver- attached in every form, and do not add ge- in the perfect: Ik heb mijn fiets verkocht. (I sold my bicycle.) For beginnings that occur in both separable and inseparable verbs, use stress as a clue and check an unfamiliar verb in a dictionary. An inseparable verb keeps its first part attached where a separable verb can place its first part elsewhere.
What stays attached in each verb form?
Ik betaal, ik betaalde and betaald all keep be- attached. A past participle is the verb form used with hebben or zijn in the perfect, such as betaald. A regular verb uses the normal past and participle endings. A strong verb changes its vowel and often has a participle in -en. Other irregular forms must be learned with the verb.
- Keep the prefix attached in the present and simple past: betalen → ik betaal, hij betaalt, ik betaalde; verkopen → ik verkoop, ik verkocht.
- Leave out ge- for a regular verb and use the normal -d/-t ending on the stem (the base used for conjugation): betalen → betaald, ontmoeten → ontmoet, vertellen → verteld.
- Leave out ge- for a strong or irregular verb and keep the learned past and participle forms: verkopen → verkocht → verkocht, begrijpen → begreep → begrepen.
| Infinitive | Present (ik) | Simple past (ik) | Past participle | Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| betalen (to pay) | betaal | betaalde | betaald | regular: -d |
| ontmoeten (to meet) | ontmoet | ontmoette | ontmoet | regular: the stem already ends in t |
| vertellen (to tell) | vertel | vertelde | verteld | regular: -d |
| verkopen (to sell) | verkoop | verkocht | verkocht | strong/irregular: learn the forms |
| begrijpen (to understand) | begrijp | begreep | begrepen | strong: vowel change and -en |
For the wider system, see how to form the past participle.
Which beginnings usually block ge-?
Six unstressed prefixes block an added participial ge-: be-, er-, ge-, her-, ont- and ver-. That gives betaald, erkend, gebeurd, herhaald, ontdekt and verteld.
| Unstressed prefix | Examples | Past participles |
|---|---|---|
| be- | betalen, begrijpen | betaald, begrepen |
| er- | erkennen (to acknowledge) | erkend |
| ge- | geloven (to believe), gebeuren (to happen) | geloofd, gebeurd |
| her- | herhalen (to repeat), herkennen (to recognize) | herhaald, herkend |
| ont- | ontmoeten, ontdekken (to discover) | ontmoet, ontdekt |
| ver- | verkopen, vertellen, vergeten (to forget) | verkocht, verteld, vergeten |
The first letters alone do not decide the form. The rule applies when the beginning is the actual unstressed prefix. In bédelen (to beg), be- is stressed, so the participle is gebedeld.
Check an unfamiliar her- verb in a dictionary. Unstressed her- blocks ge-: herhalen → herhaald. Forms with stressed her- vary: herinrichten → heringericht (to rearrange), heroverwegen → heroverwogen (to reconsider) and herstructureren → geherstructureerd (to restructure). The verb herbergen (to accommodate) forms geherbergd because its first letters are not the prefix her-.
When does stress show whether a verb separates?
Some first parts also work like adverbs: they add a direction or result, as door (through) does. In these first-part-plus-verb combinations, stress on the first part predicts separation; stress on the verb predicts inseparability. The verb dóórlopen (to keep walking) is separable: Na de pauze lopen we door. (After the break, we keep walking.) The verb doorlópen (to go through) is inseparable: We doorlopen de hele procedure. (We go through the entire procedure.)
| Beginnings with both patterns | General tendency | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| mis-, vol- | often inseparable; separable verbs also occur | inseparable misbruiken (to misuse), separable misgaan (to go wrong); inseparable volharden (to persist), separable volhouden (to keep going) |
| om-, onder-, over- | often separable, with many inseparable verbs | separable omvallen (to fall over), inseparable omarmen (to embrace); separable óndergaan (for the sun to set), inseparable ondergáán (to undergo) |
| aan-, achter-, door-, voor-, weer- | usually separable; smaller inseparable sets exist | separable aanbieden (to offer), inseparable aanvaarden (to accept); separable vóórkomen (to occur), inseparable voorkómen (to prevent) |
Use the stress test for an adverb-like first part plus a verb, not for every complex-looking verb. Stofzuigen (to vacuum) is inseparable even though the first part carries the main stress. A dictionary entry is final when the pattern is unfamiliar. See how to choose between separable and inseparable verbs.
Where does each form go in a sentence?
Ik verkoop morgen mijn fiets. keeps ver- inside verkoop. Each full form still takes its normal sentence position.
| Environment | Dutch | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| Main clause (a sentence that can stand alone), present | Ik verkoop morgen mijn fiets. (I am selling my bicycle tomorrow.) | the finite verb (the verb marked for person and tense) is in second position; the prefix stays attached |
| Main clause, perfect | Ik heb mijn fiets verkocht. (I sold my bicycle.) | the participle is near the end and has no ge- |
| Subordinate clause (a clause that depends on a main clause), present | ... omdat ik morgen mijn fiets verkoop. (... because I am selling my bicycle tomorrow.) | the finite verb occupies the final verb position as one form |
| Subordinate clause, perfect | ... omdat ik mijn fiets heb verkocht. / ... omdat ik mijn fiets verkocht heb. (... because I sold my bicycle.) | both orders of the two-verb cluster (the verbs grouped at the end) are standard |
| Infinitive with te | Ik probeer mijn fiets te verkopen. (I am trying to sell my bicycle.) | te comes before the whole inseparable verb |
Both subordinate perfect orders in the table are correct. The choice between heb verkocht and verkocht heb changes the verb-cluster order; it does not split the participle itself.
Which auxiliary belongs in the perfect?
The perfect combines a past participle with a helper verb: hebben (to have) or zijn (to be). This helper is called the perfect auxiliary. Ik heb betaald. (I have paid.) uses hebben, but Zij is een eigen zaak begonnen. (She started her own business.) uses zijn. Inseparability does not choose the auxiliary; the verb and its meaning do.
| Verb or meaning | Correct perfect | Auxiliary choice |
|---|---|---|
| betalen, verkopen, begrijpen | Ik heb betaald. / Ik heb mijn fiets verkocht. / Ik heb het begrepen. | hebben |
| beginnen (to begin) | Zij is een eigen zaak begonnen. (She started her own business.) | zijn, including when there is an object |
| vergeten: no longer remember | Ik ben zijn naam vergeten. (I have forgotten his name.) | only zijn |
| vergeten: leave something behind or neglect to do something | Ik heb mijn paspoort vergeten. / Ik ben mijn paspoort vergeten. (I left my passport behind.) | both hebben and zijn are standard |
Which mistakes change the verb?
Ik verkoop mijn fiets. is one word, and Ik heb mijn fiets verkocht. adds no ge- to the participle.
| Avoid | Use | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Ik koop mijn fiets ver. | Ik verkoop mijn fiets. | ver- does not split from verkopen |
| gebetaald | betaald | unstressed be- blocks ge- |
| geverkocht | verkocht | unstressed ver- blocks ge-; the participle is irregular |
| begrijpd | begrepen | begrijpen keeps its strong participle |
| Ik heb een bedrijf begonnen. | Ik ben een bedrijf begonnen. | beginnen uses zijn |
- What is the past participle of *betalen*?
- *gebetaald*
- *betaald*
- *betaalt*
- *betalen*
The verb *betalen* begins with unstressed *be-*, so its participle has no *ge-*. It is regular: stem *betaal* plus *-d* gives *betaald*.
- Which sentence is correct?
- *Ik koop mijn auto ver.*
- *Ik verkoop mijn auto.*
- *Ik ver koop mijn auto.*
- *Ik koop ver mijn auto.*
The verb *verkopen* is inseparable. Its prefix *ver-* stays attached in the finite form: *Ik verkoop mijn auto.*
- What is the past participle of *begrijpen*?
- *gebegrijpt*
- *begrijpd*
- *begrepen*
- *begrijpen*
The verb *begrijpen* is strong. Unstressed *be-* blocks *ge-*, and its learned participle is *begrepen*, not a regular form in *-d/-t*.
- What does the stress contrast show in *dóórlopen* and *doorlópen*?
- Both verbs are separable.
- *dóórlopen* is separable; *doorlópen* is inseparable.
- *dóórlopen* is inseparable; *doorlópen* is separable.
- Stress changes only the tense.
In this adverb-plus-verb pair, stress on *door-* marks the separable verb *dóórlopen*. Stress on the verb part marks inseparable *doorlópen*.
- Spot the error: *Hij heeft mij het hele verhaal geverteld.*
- *het hele verhaal* should be *een verhaal*
- *geverteld* should be *verteld*
- *heeft* should be *is*
- Nothing is wrong.
The verb *vertellen* begins with unstressed *ver-*, so its participle has no *ge-*: *verteld*, not *geverteld*.
Test yourself
Question 1 of 5
What is the past participle of betalen?