---
title: "D, t or dt: spelling verbs in the present"
level: A2
chapter: "Verbs now"
canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/d-t-or-dt
updated: 2026-10-08
author: Dutch Fluency
license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
---

# D, t or dt: spelling verbs in the present

Verbs whose stem ends in d follow the normal present-tense rule: stem plus t for _jij_, _u_, _hij_, _zij_ and _het_. That gives _ik word_ but _jij wordt_ and _hij vindt_, with dt. The t disappears when the subject _jij_ or _je_ comes after the verb, as in _word jij?_

## The pattern

> Take the stem and add the usual ending: nothing for _ik_, a t for _jij_, _u_, _hij_, _zij_ (she) and _het_. A d at the end of the stem stays, so you write dt.

- _ik word_, _ik vind_: just the stem.
- _jij wordt_, _u wordt_, _hij vindt_, _zij vindt_: stem plus t.
- Verb before the subject _jij_ or _je_: no t, as in _word jij?_ and _vind je het leuk?_ It is the same rule as _werk jij?_ ([where the t disappears](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/jij-inversion)).
- Verb before _u_, _hij_ or _zij_: the t stays, as in _wordt u?_ and _vindt hij?_
- Stem already ends in t: no second t, as in _hij zit_ and _jij wacht_.
- A few very common verbs have their own forms, like _hij kan_ and _hij mag_ ([irregular verbs](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/irregular-present)).

## Examples

| Ik **word** in mei dertig. | I turn thirty in May. |
| Morgen **wordt** Sanne veertig. | Sanne turns forty tomorrow. |
| Jij **vindt** de trein veel te duur. | You think the train is far too expensive. |
| **Vind jij** het ook koud vandaag? | Do you think it's cold today too? |
| **Wordt u** al geholpen? | Is someone already helping you? |
| Het vliegtuig **landt** om tien uur. | The plane lands at ten o'clock. |
| Ahmed **antwoordt** nooit op mijn berichten. | Ahmed never answers my messages. |
| **Vindt** je zus het nieuwe huis mooi? | Does your sister like the new house? |
| Dat **gebeurt** vaak op maandag. | That often happens on Mondays. |
| Wat is er **gebeurd**? | What happened? |

## Why it works this way

The d and the t do different jobs. The d belongs to the verb itself: it is in _worden_ and _vinden_, so it stays in the stem. The t is the ending for _jij_, _u_, _hij_, _zij_ and _het_, the same t as in _hij werkt_. Dutch spelling shows both pieces, so you get dt.

Your ears cannot help you here. At the end of a word, d is pronounced as t ([why d sounds like t](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/final-devoicing)), so _word_ and _wordt_ sound exactly the same. Plenty of Dutch people get this wrong in their emails too.

So borrow a verb whose ending you can hear: _lopen_. Put a form of _lopen_ in the same spot, with the same subject, and listen for a t. The sentence does not have to make sense.

- _hij loopt_, so _hij wordt_
- _loop jij?_, so _word jij?_
- _loopt u?_, so _wordt u?_
- _loopt je zus?_, so _wordt je zus?_ (here _je_ means your, so the subject is _je zus_)

The same test settles _gebeurt_ or _gebeurd_. _Het ... vaak_ becomes _het loopt vaak_: you hear a t, so it is the present tense, _het gebeurt vaak_. _Het is gisteren ..._ becomes _het is gisteren gelopen_: no t, because that is a past participle, so you write the participle _gebeurd_ ([t or d in participles](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/t-kofschip)).

Remember: the d belongs to the verb, the t belongs to the person. When in doubt, ask _lopen_.

## Watch out

- Not: _Hij vind het te duur._ Say: _Hij vindt het te duur._ (stem _vind_ plus the t for _hij_)
- Not: _Ik wordt in juni veertig._ Say: _Ik word in juni veertig._ (_ik_ gets just the stem, like _ik loop_)
- Not: _Vindt jij het leuk?_ Say: _Vind jij het leuk?_ (no t when _jij_ follows the verb, even though German keeps its ending here)
- Not: _Word u al geholpen?_ Say: _Wordt u al geholpen?_ (_u_ keeps the t)
- Not: _Wat is er gebeurt?_ Say: _Wat is er gebeurd?_ (after _is_ you need the participle, like _is gelopen_)

## Quick check

1. Fix the sentence: _Joris word volgende maand vader._
2. Fill in a form of _worden_: _Hoe oud ... jij volgende week?_
3. Fill in a form of _vinden_: _... u het goed als ik hier ga zitten?_
4. Choose _gebeurt_ or _gebeurd_: _Wat is er met je fiets ...?_

## Answers

1. _Joris wordt volgende maand vader._ (_Joris loopt_, so stem _word_ plus t.)
2. _word_ (_jij_ comes after the verb: _loop jij_, no t.)
3. _Vindt_ (_u_ keeps the t: _loopt u_.)
4. _gebeurd_ (after _is_ you need the participle: _is gelopen_.)

## Use it today

Check a birthday calendar (many Dutch homes keep a _verjaardagskalender_ on the toilet door) and write three sentences: one with _ik word_, one about someone who _wordt_ a certain age, and one question that starts with _Word jij_. Test every verb with _lopen_ before you call it done.

## Questions learners ask

**Is it hij word or hij wordt?**

Hij wordt. The stem of worden is word, and with hij you add the present-tense t, so you write dt. Swap in lopen to check: hij loopt, so hij wordt.

**Why is it word jij but wordt u in Dutch?**

When jij or je is the subject and comes after the verb, the t drops: word jij, vind je. With u the t stays, so you write wordt u and vindt u.

**Is it gebeurt or gebeurd?**

Gebeurt is the present tense (het gebeurt vaak) and gebeurd is the past participle (het is gebeurd). Replace it with a form of lopen: if you get loopt, write gebeurt; if you get gelopen, write gebeurd.

From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.