--- title: "Geleden, sinds, al and over" level: A2 chapter: "Small words" canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/ago-since-in updated: 2026-10-09 author: Dutch Fluency license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) --- # Geleden, sinds, al and over _Geleden_ means ago and comes after the time: _twee jaar geleden_. _Sinds_ means since, and _over_ plus an amount of time means in, looking forward: _over een week_. For something that started in the past and is still true, Dutch normally uses the present tense (the verb form for now) with _al_: _Ik woon hier al twee jaar_ means I have lived here for two years. ## The pattern > Put _geleden_ after an amount of time for ago, _sinds_ before a starting point for since, and _over_ before an amount of time for in (the future). For a situation that started in the past and is still going on, Dutch normally uses the present tense with _al_ or _sinds_. - _drie dagen geleden_: a finished moment in the past, so the verb is in a past tense, usually the [perfect](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/perfect-tense) (the past with _hebben_ or _zijn_): _Ik ben drie dagen geleden verhuisd._ - _sinds maandag_, _sinds 2021_, _sinds mijn verjaardag_: _sinds_ plus the moment something began. - _al drie weken_: _al_ plus how long it has lasted so far, with the present: _Ik werk hier al drie weken._ - _al_ and _sinds_ often team up: _Ik werk hier al sinds maart._ - _over een uur_, _over twee weken_: counting forward from now. The present tense is usually enough: _Ik heb over twee weken vakantie._ You will sometimes hear _in tien minuten_ with this meaning too, but _over_ is the usual choice. - Elsewhere _over_ often means about (_een boek over Amsterdam_), but before an amount of time it means in. ## Examples | Ik ben drie jaar **geleden** naar Nederland gekomen. | I came to the Netherlands three years ago. | | Sanne heeft me een uur **geleden** gebeld. | Sanne called me an hour ago. | | Mei woont **sinds** 2022 in Utrecht. | Mei has lived in Utrecht since 2022. | | Het regent **al sinds** vanochtend. | It has been raining since this morning. | | Ahmed **werkt al** zes maanden bij de bakker. | Ahmed has worked at the baker's for six months. | | Hoe lang **leer** je **al** Nederlands? | How long have you been learning Dutch? | | Carlos **woont al** twee jaar in Delft. | Carlos has lived in Delft for two years (and still does). | | Carlos **heeft** twee jaar in Delft **gewoond**, maar nu woont hij in Leiden. | Carlos lived in Delft for two years, but now he lives in Leiden. | | Mijn ouders komen **over** twee weken op bezoek. | My parents are coming to visit in two weeks. | | De huisarts kan u **over** tien minuten helpen. | The doctor can see you in ten minutes. | ## Why it works this way Picture a timeline with now in the middle. _Geleden_ points back to a moment that is over. _Over_ points forward to a moment that has not arrived yet. _Al_ and _sinds_ draw a line from the past up to now, and that line is still running. Dutch picks the tense by asking one question: is it still true now? If yes, it normally uses the present, and _al_ or _sinds_ adds the history. This is the same _al_ (already) from [Al, nog, pas, nog niet, niet meer](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/al-nog-pas): _al twee jaar_ is literally already two years. English needs its present perfect here (I have lived), which is why English speakers reach for _ik heb gewoond_. In Dutch, the perfect normally presents the period as finished: _Ik heb twee jaar in Delft gewoond_ usually suggests that you no longer live there. German and Spanish also use the present here, so their speakers often find this part easy. You will also hear _sinds twee jaar_, but _al twee jaar_ is the safer choice. The perfect does show up when you count separate events or say that something has not happened: _Sinds januari ben ik twee keer ziek geweest._ _Ik heb Lotte al weken niet gezien._ Both are normal Dutch. Remember: _geleden_ looks back, _over_ looks forward, and _al_ and _sinds_ are a bridge from then to now. While you are still standing on the bridge, the present is your default. ## Watch out - Not: _Ik ben geleden een jaar verhuisd._ Say: _Ik ben een jaar geleden verhuisd._ (_geleden_ comes after the amount of time) - Not: _Ik heb hier sinds 2022 gewoond._ Say: _Ik woon hier sinds 2022._ (you still live here, so use the present) - Not: _Ik woon hier twee jaar geleden._ Say: _Ik woon hier al twee jaar._ (for how long something has lasted up to now, use _al_) - Not: _Twee jaar geleden ik ben naar Nederland gekomen._ Say: _Twee jaar geleden ben ik naar Nederland gekomen._ (when the time phrase comes first, the verb comes second, before the subject) ## Quick check For 1 to 3, fill in _geleden_, _sinds_ or _over_. 1. _Fatima is drie jaar ... naar Nederland gekomen._ 2. _Daan werkt ... januari bij de gemeente._ 3. _We hebben nog tijd: de bus komt pas ... tien minuten._ 4. Yara still works at the hospital, so this sentence uses the wrong tense. Correct it by changing only the verb: _Yara heeft sinds 2024 in het ziekenhuis gewerkt._ ## Answers 1. _geleden_: it follows the amount of time and points to a finished moment. 2. _sinds_: _januari_ is a starting point, not an amount of time. 3. _over_: the bus comes in the future, counted from now. 4. _Yara werkt sinds 2024 in het ziekenhuis._: she still works there, so the perfect _heeft gewerkt_ becomes the present _werkt_. ## Use it today Write three true sentences about your own life: one with _geleden_ (when you came here or started a job), one with _al_ (how long you have lived or worked here), and one with _over_ (something coming up). Then practise your answer to _Hoe lang woon je al in Nederland?_ out loud, because you will hear that question a lot. ## Questions learners ask **How do you say "I have lived here for two years" in Dutch?** Say "Ik woon hier al twee jaar." Dutch normally uses the present tense with al for something that started in the past and is still true; "Ik heb hier twee jaar gewoond" usually suggests you no longer live there. **What is the difference between geleden and sinds in Dutch?** Geleden means ago and comes after an amount of time (twee jaar geleden), pointing to a finished moment. Sinds means since and comes before a starting point (sinds 2020), usually with the present tense when the situation continues until now. **How do you say "in two weeks" in Dutch?** The usual way is with over: "over twee weken." You will sometimes hear "in twee weken" for the future too, but it mostly describes how long something takes, as in "Ik heb het boek in twee weken gelezen." From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.