Beginner
Zijn Conjugation
Zijn (to be) is the most used verb in Dutch, and it is completely irregular. There are only four present-tense forms. Pick the right one, see the explanation instantly, and learn the two traps that catch English speakers.
Question 1 of 12
Correct: 0
FILL IN THE BLANK
Quick tips to get zijn right
The pattern
- ✓ik → ben
- ✓jij / je → bent
- ✓u → bent (keeps the -t, also in questions)
- ✓Question with jij → the -t drops: ben jij?
Watch out for
- ✓hij / zij / het → is (irregular)
- ✓wij / jullie / zij → zijn (same as the infinitive)
- ✓Past tense → was in the singular, waren in the plural
- ✓Watch out → zijn in front of a noun means "his"
Golden tip
Say the row out loud until it sounds like one word: ik ben, jij bent, hij is, wij zijn. Then do the same with hebben, because you need both verbs in almost every sentence.
Want to master this for good?
Zijn is just the beginning
In the A1 course you learn zijn, hebben, the articles, and build your first full sentences — all explained in English.
More free exercisesAll exercises·De vs Het·Personal Pronouns·Hebben Conjugation·Sentence Structure·Word Order