You know the feeling: you can order a broodje kaas without thinking, but when someone asks what you did last weekend, your brain serves up ik heb gewerkt and then goes blank.
That gap, between the Dutch you recognise and the Dutch you can produce under pressure, is exactly what the new verb game in the Dutch Fluency apps hub is built to close. It is not a textbook. It is a drill. It throws verbs at you in short bursts, makes you conjugate them out loud or in your head, and then shows you the ones you keep missing. The result is a personal list of weak spots, not a generic word list.
The game lives alongside the other tools in the apps hub, and this week we also rolled out a 7 day challenge, a free week for new users, and a fix for when your browser blocks Google sign-in. Here is what changed, how to use it, and why drilling verbs matters more than you think.
Why verbs are the skeleton of Dutch
Dutch sentences hang on verbs. Word order, tense, and even politeness depend on them. If you can conjugate gaan, komen, zijn, and hebben without hesitation, you can build hundreds of sentences. If you freeze on ik ging versus ik ben gegaan, the conversation stalls.
Most learners collect nouns first. That feels productive because nouns are concrete. But nouns without verbs are just labels. You can point at a fiets and say fiets. You cannot explain that you left your bike at the station because you missed the train without verbs like laten, staan, missen, and nemen.
The verb game focuses on the forms that trip people up: irregular past tenses, separable prefixes, and the difference between voltooide tijd (perfect) and onvoltooide tijd (simple past). It does not lecture. It quizzes. You see a sentence with a gap, you choose or type the verb, and you get immediate feedback. The repetition is deliberate. Spaced repetition works for vocabulary, but verbs need something more active: retrieval under time pressure.
How the verb game actually works
When you open the game, you pick a level or let it choose based on your history. It starts with high frequency verbs: zijn, hebben, gaan, komen, doen, maken, zien, zeggen. These are the verbs you use every day, and they are also the most irregular. The game does not hide that. It drills them until they are automatic.
Each round is short. You get a prompt like Ik ___ gisteren naar de markt. You type or select ging. If you are wrong, the game shows the correct form and the rule behind it, but only for a second. Then it moves on. The mistakes are collected and reappear later in the same session, then again in future sessions. That is the forgetting curve in action, and the game is designed around it.
There is also a speaking mode. You see a subject and a verb, and you say the full sentence out loud. This is harder than clicking, which is the point. Recognising ik heb gegeten when you see it is not the same as producing it when someone asks wat heb je gegeten? The game pushes you toward production.
If you are preparing for the inburgering A2 exam, this kind of drilling is directly useful. The exam tests your ability to use Dutch in practical situations, and verbs are everywhere. The spreken section in particular rewards fluency with common verbs. You do not need to be perfect. You need to be fast enough to keep going.
"I kept saying 'ik heb naar de winkel' and stopping. The game made me finish the sentence. After a week I stopped freezing on 'gegaan'."
The 7 day challenge and the free week
Streaks are motivating, but they can also become meaningless. You open the app, do one easy exercise, and keep the streak alive without learning anything. The 7 day challenge changes that. It gives you a specific goal for each day, built around the verb game and the other tools in the hub. Day one might be ten minutes of present tense. Day four might be past tense with separable verbs. Day seven is a mixed drill that pulls from everything you got wrong.
The challenge is not about spending hours. It is about showing up and doing focused work. Fifteen minutes a day for a week will teach you more than a three hour session on Sunday, because the repetition is spread out. Your brain needs time between sessions to consolidate.
New users also get a free week. That means full access to the verb game, the KNM materials, the mock exam, and the photo description tool. No credit card required to start. The banner in the app says exactly that: free week, full access, cancel anytime. We are not hiding the terms.
If you have been putting off structured practice because you are not sure it will help, the free week is the low risk way to find out. Use it for the challenge. If you miss a day, start again. The point is not perfection. The point is momentum.
Fixes and updates you should know about
Two things broke recently and are now fixed. The first was a sign-in issue. Some browsers block Google sign-in by default, especially in private mode or with strict tracking protection. When that happens, the app now tells you clearly instead of spinning forever. It also opens the email sign-in form as a fallback, so you can still get in. If you were stuck before, try again. The email option works even when Google is blocked.
The second was behind the scenes. Our AI gateway was defaulting to a retired model, which caused 404 errors in the verb game and the RushWords speed game. We dropped the temperature setting and made sure the system reads all text blocks, not just the first one. That means the feedback you get is more consistent and less likely to cut off mid sentence. You will not notice the fix directly, but you will notice that the games stop glitching.
We also added a link back to the Dutch Fluency apps hub from the header of the verb game and the photo description tool. If you are deep in a drill and want to switch to something else, you do not have to hunt for the home button. It is right there.
On the lesson side, we released lesson 38 and lesson 39. The social drip had caught up with our production schedule, which is a good problem to have. These lessons follow the same practical format: real situations, useful vocabulary, and grammar that you actually need. You can find them on the main site at dutchfluency.com.
How to use the verb game without burning out
Short sessions beat long ones. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough. The game is designed for that. If you push past twenty minutes, your accuracy drops and you start guessing. Stop while you are still sharp.
Say the answers out loud when you can. Even if you are on the bus. Whisper if you have to. The physical act of speaking engages different memory pathways than tapping a screen. It also exposes pronunciation issues that you would miss if you only read.
Review your mistakes. The game tracks them, but you should look at them too. After a session, ask yourself which verbs keep coming back. Is it worden versus zijn? Is it separable verbs like opbellen where the prefix jumps to the end? Write them down. Make a note in your phone. The act of writing reinforces the correction.
Mix the verb game with other tools. Do a round of verbs, then describe a photo, then listen to a short clip. Variety keeps your attention and mimics real life, where you switch between skills constantly. The apps hub is set up for this. You can move between tools without losing your progress.
If you are preparing for the inburgering exam, use the verb game as a warm up before the mock exam. It gets your brain into Dutch mode. Then do the mock exam under timed conditions. Check the official DUO and CvTE guidelines for exact exam details, including duration and question counts, because those can change. We do not guess at those numbers, and neither should you.
What to do this week
Start the 7 day challenge. If you are new, activate the free week. If you have been stuck on sign-in, try the email form. Do one round of the verb game today, even if it is just five minutes. Then do another round tomorrow.
The Dutch you keep forgetting is not lost. It is just not automatic yet. Drilling brings it back. The verb game is a tool for that, not a magic solution. You still have to show up. But showing up is easier when the practice is short, specific, and tells you exactly what you got wrong.
Check the apps hub, pick the verb game, and start with the verbs you use most. Zijn, hebben, gaan, komen, doen, maken, zien, zeggen. Get those automatic. Then add more. The rest of Dutch gets easier when the skeleton is strong.
Practical checklist
- Open the Dutch Fluency apps hub and find the verb game.
- If you are new, activate the free week. No credit card needed.
- Start the 7 day challenge. Set a reminder for the same time each day.
- Do 10 to 15 minutes of verb drilling. Stop before you get sloppy.
- Say your answers out loud when possible.
- Review your mistakes after each session. Note the verbs that keep returning.
- Mix in the photo description tool or a mock exam section for variety.
- If Google sign-in is blocked, use the email form.
- Check DUO or Mijn Inburgering for official exam details, not third party guesses.
- Repeat tomorrow. Momentum matters more than intensity.
FAQ
Do I need to pay to use the verb game?
New users get a free week with full access. After that, you can choose a plan. The free week does not require a credit card to start.
What if my browser blocks Google sign-in?
The app now detects that and opens the email sign-in form instead. You can also switch to a different browser or disable strict tracking protection for the site.
How long should I practice each day?
Ten to fifteen minutes of focused drilling is enough. Consistency beats duration. If you have more time, do a second short session later in the day.
Is this useful for the inburgering A2 exam?
Yes. The exam tests practical Dutch, and verbs are central to that. The verb game helps with spreken and general fluency. For exact exam rules, check DUO and CvTE.
Can I use the verb game on my phone?
Yes. It works in the browser on mobile. For the best experience, use a quiet space where you can speak your answers.
What if I miss a day in the 7 day challenge?
Just start again. The challenge is a guide, not a punishment. The goal is to build the habit of daily practice.
Where do I find the mock exam?
It is in the apps hub alongside the verb game. You can find it at nt2.dutchfluency.com/inburgering-a2/mock-exam.
Do you cover KNM in the apps hub?
Yes. The KNM materials are part of the same hub, so you can switch between language drilling and knowledge of Dutch society.
What changed with the AI feedback?
We fixed a backend issue where the system was using a retired model. It now reads all text blocks and gives more consistent feedback. You should notice fewer glitches in the verb game and RushWords.
How do I know if I am improving?
Track your accuracy in the game and notice when you stop hesitating on common verbs. If you can say ik ging without thinking, you are improving.
