Essential Dutch Grammar

All The Grammar Really Needed For Speech And Comprehension

Henry R. Stern

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9780486246758
• eBook ISBN: 9780486116273
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Languages
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

This is the first Dutch grammar specifically designed for the adult with limited learning time whose objective is broader, more fluent everyday communication. Avoiding archaic, highly literary and seldom-used forms, this grammar helps those with some knowledge of Dutch use phrases and vocabulary more effectively. For the beginner, it provides all the grammar really needed for speech and comprehension.:
Based on the premise that systematic study of grammar is a shortcut to language learning, Essential Dutch Grammar helps you acquire fluency by emphasizing the strong similarities between English and Dutch, and by concentrating on essentials: spelling, word order, articles and nouns, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, verbs, conjunctions and prepositions--all illustrated by easy-to-understand examples.
While explaining how to avoid complicated sentence constructions, tell time and use idioms, the book provides dozens of useful expressions, four detailed appendices on verbs, and a handy glossary of grammatical terms. Whether you're just beginning the study of Dutch or need a handy refresher course, Essential Dutch Grammar offers a modern, streamlined approach that will enable you to master Dutch in the shortest possible time.

VERBS

The Present Tense

The present tense of verbs is formed by adding the appropriate personal endings to the stem of the verb. To find the stem of a verb simply drop its infinitive -en (or, rarely, -n) ending. The stem of the verb zingen (to sing) is thus zing-, for the verb doen (to do) it is doe-. It should be noted that verbs are always listed in dictionaries and grammars under their infinitive form. The endings for the present tense are: -t for the second and third persons singular and for the u-form, and -en for all plural forms. The first person singular coincides with the stem form of the verb:

In accordance with the general rules for spelling (see that section), the following spelling changes must be made when writing verb stems:

1. . When the stem vowel of an infinitive is long and in an open syllable, that vowel must be doubled when the infinitive ending is removed: maken (to make) has the stem maak-, horen (to hear) has the stem hoor-. When the plural endings in -en are added to the stem, it again becomes an open syllable and thus is written with just one vowel: ik maak (I make) but wij maken (we make), ik hoor (I hear) but wij horen (we hear).
2. When an infinitive has a short stem vowel followed by a double consonant, one of the consonants is dropped in spelling the stem: zitten (to sit) has the stem zit-, leggen (to lay) has the stem leg-. When the plural endings in -en are added to the stem, the double consonant is restored in order to show the closed syllable of the stem: ik zit (I sit) but wij zitten (we sit), ik leg (I lay) but wij leggen (we lay).
3. When the final consonant of the infinitive is either v or z, it is changed to f and s respectively to give the stem form: beven (to tremble) has the stem beef-, reizen (to travel) has the stem reis-. Before the plural -en endings, f and s become v and z: ik beef (I tremble) but wij beven (we tremble), ik reis (I travel) but wij reizen (we travel):

The student should note carefully the following points when using the present tense:

1. . The polite u-form always takes the ending -t, whether one is referring to one or more persons: u komt (you come), singular or plural depending upon the context.
2. When the pronoun jij (je) follows its verb, the -t ending on the verb is dropped: jij zingt (you sing), but zing je? (are you singing?).
3. A few verbs with stems ending in -d, notably snijden (to cut), houden (to hold), and rijden (to ride), often drop the -d in the first person singular: ik snij (I cut), ik hou (I hold), ik rij (I ride). In the second person singular these verbs regularly drop the -dt when the pronoun subject follows: snij je? (are you cutting?), hou je? (are you holding?), rij je? (are you riding?).
4. In keeping with the general rules for spelling, verbs whose stem ends in -t do not add the -t ending in the second and third persons singular: laten (to let), ik laat (I let), Jij laat (you let), hij laat (he lets).
5. The verb komen changes the length of its vowel from short in the singular to long in the plural. The irregularity in pronunciation is reflected in the spelling: ik kom, wij komen.

Hebben and Zijn

The verbs hebben (to have) and zijn (to be) are irregular in the present tense:

When jij (je) follows these verbs, the -t ending is dropped: heb je? (do you have?), ben je? (are you?). The forms u heeft and u is also occur in place of u hebt (you have) and u bent (you are), but they are much less common. Zullen, another verb that is irregular in the present, will be considered later.

The Progressive

There are no present tense forms in Dutch to compare to the English progressive (I am singing, he is playing, they are running) or emphatic (I do sing, he does play, they do run) forms. Thus Dutch ik zing may, depending upon context, mean either “ I sing,” “ I am singing,” or “ I do sing.” Progressive forms in English focus upon an activity as it is taking place. To indicate action in progress Dutch often uses (appropriately to the situation) the verbs liggen (to lie), lopen (to run OR walk), staan (to stand), or zitten (to sit) followed by te and the infinitive:

Hij ligt te slapen.

He is sleeping (that is, he is lying down and sleeping while in that position).

Zij staan te praten.

They are talking (that is, they are standing and talking as they stand).

Wij zitten te lezen.

We are reading (that is, we are sitting and as we sit we are also reading).

Dutch has no specific verb forms or combination of verb forms to render the English emphatic. Generally adverbs are used to modify the sense of the verb or to lend emphasis to it.

The Imperative

The imperative form of a verb expresses an order or command: “Come home quickly,” “Do your homework.” In English the imperative form of the verb is identical with the infinitive. In Dutch the stem form of the verb generally functions as the imperative for both the singular and plural. No ending is added:

luisteren (to listen)	Luister goed !	Listen carefully!
wachten (to wait)	Wacht op ons!	Wait for us!
nemen (to take)	Neem dit boek!	Take this book!

In polite address, both singular and plural, the -t ending is added to the stem form and the pronoun u follows. The addition of the pronoun tends to soften the command and make it less abrupt:

lezen (to ...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• INTRODUCTION
• SUGGESTIONS FOR VOCABULARY BUILDING
• SPELLING
• WORD ORDER
• NEGATION
• ARTICLES AND NOUNS
• ADJECTIVES
• ADVERBS
• POSSESSIVES AND POSSESSION
• DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES AND PRONOUNS
• PRONOUNS
• VERBS
• CONJUNCTIONS
• PREPOSITIONS
• TELLING TIME
• USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
• IDIOMATIC CONSTRUCTIONS
• Appendix A - PARADIGM OF A WEAK VERB
• Appendix B - PARADIGM OF A STRONG VERB
• Appendix C - PRINCIPAL PARTS OF COMMON STRONG VERBS
• Appendix D - PRINCIPAL PARTS OF COMMON IRREGULAR VERBS
• A GLOSSARY OF GRAMMATICAL TERMS - E. F. BLEILER
• INDEX
• A CATALOG OF SELECTED DOVER BOOKS IN ALL FIELDS OF INTEREST