---
title: "'t kofschip: choosing t or d"
level: A1
chapter: "Verbs in time"
canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/t-kofschip
updated: 2026-10-09
author: Dutch Fluency
license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
---

# 't kofschip: choosing t or d

If the stem of a regular verb (its _ik_ form, like _werk_ or _woon_) ends in one of the consonants of _'t kofschip_ (_t_, _k_, _f_, _s_, _ch_, _p_, and also _x_), the past forms take _-t_ and _-te_: _gewerkt_, _werkte_. Otherwise they take _-d_ and _-de_: _gewoond_, _woonde_. For verbs like _leven_ and _reizen_, check the infinitive (the dictionary form) instead of the stem.

## The pattern

> If the stem ends in a consonant from _'t kofschip_, use _-t_ in the past participle and _-te_ in the simple past; otherwise use _-d_ and _-de_. If the stem ends in _f_ or _s_, check the infinitive first: a _v_ or _z_ there means _-d_ and _-de_.

- Past participle (the "worked" in "I have worked"): usually _ge-_ + stem + _-t_ or _-d_, so _gewerkt_, _gewoond_ ([regular participles](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/regular-participles)).
- Simple past (the "worked" in "I worked yesterday"): stem + _-te_ or _-de_, plus _-n_ in the plural: _werkte_, _werkten_, _woonde_, _woonden_ ([more on the simple past](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/simple-past-regular)).
- _leven_ (stem _leef_) and _reizen_ (stem _reis_): _v_ and _z_ are not in _'t kofschip_, so _leefde_, _geleefd_, _reisde_, _gereisd_.
- A stem that already ends in _t_ or _d_ gets no extra letter in the participle (_gewacht_, _geantwoord_), but the full ending in the simple past (_wachtte_, _antwoordde_).
- Mixed verbs like _bakken_ (_bakte_, _gebakken_) and irregular verbs have their own participles, and a few English loanwords follow the sound: _skypen_, _skypete_, _geskypet_.

## Examples

| Daan **werkte** gisteren thuis. | Daan worked from home yesterday. |
| Ik heb drie jaar in Utrecht **gewoond**. | I lived in Utrecht for three years. |
| Fatima **fietste** door de regen naar haar werk. | Fatima cycled to work in the rain. |
| We hebben soep **gekookt**. | We made soup. |
| Sanne **belde** de huisarts. | Sanne called the GP. |
| Mei heeft een bakfiets **gehuurd**. | Mei rented a cargo bike. |
| Emma **wachtte** tien minuten op de trein. | Emma waited ten minutes for the train. |
| Onze kat **leefde** achttien jaar. | Our cat lived for eighteen years. |
| Priya **reisde** met de trein naar Parijs. | Priya travelled to Paris by train. |

## Why it works this way

The consonants on board are all voiceless: you make them without a buzz in your throat. Put two fingers on your throat and say a long _s_, then a long _z_. Only the _z_ buzzes. A voiceless _t_ slides easily after a voiceless sound (_werkte_, _fietste_), while a buzzing _d_ fits after a vowel or a buzzing consonant (_woonde_, _belde_). The _x_ joins the crew because it is really _k_ plus _s_: _faxen_ gives _faxte_ and _gefaxt_.

That explains _leven_ and _reizen_ too. Their _v_ and _z_ are the buzzing partners of _f_ and _s_, but Dutch spelling usually writes _f_ and _s_ at the end of a word ([v and f, z and s](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/v-f-z-s)), so the stems look like _leef_ and _reis_. The ending follows the infinitive.

Your ear won't always help. A final _d_ sounds like _t_ ([why that happens](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/final-devoicing)), so _gewoond_ sounds just like the wrong _gewoont_. For _g_, go by the letter, not the accent: many people in the Netherlands say it like _ch_, yet _leggen_ gives _legde_ and _gelegd_.

Remember: a _kof_ is a real type of old Dutch sailing ship. Its consonants travel with _-t_; _v_ and _z_ are not on board, so they travel with _-d_, even when spelling dresses them up as _f_ and _s_.

## Watch out

- Not: _Ik werkde tot zes uur._ Say: _Ik werkte tot zes uur._ (_werk_ ends in _k_; the English -ed is no guide here)
- Not: _We hebben in Leiden gewoont._ Say: _We hebben in Leiden gewoond._ (_n_ is not on the ship; German speakers often write _-t_ out of habit)
- Not: _Emma wachte op de bus._ Say: _Emma wachtte op de bus._ (stem _wacht_ plus _-te_ gives two t's)
- Not: _Opa leefte heel gezond._ Say: _Opa leefde heel gezond._ (the infinitive _leven_ has a _v_)
- Not: _Ik heb veel gereist._ Say: _Ik heb veel gereisd._ (the infinitive _reizen_ has a _z_)

## Quick check

1. Fill in the past participle of _spelen_: _De kinderen hebben de hele middag buiten ..._
2. Choose: _Mei (stopte / stopde) vorig jaar met roken._
3. Fill in the simple past of _reizen_: _Yara ... in de zomer naar Marokko._
4. Fix the sentence: _Ahmed heeft zijn moeder gebelt._

## Answers

1. _gespeeld_: the stem _speel_ ends in _l_, which is not on the ship.
2. _stopte_: the stem _stop_ ends in _p_.
3. _reisde_: the infinitive _reizen_ has a _z_.
4. _Ahmed heeft zijn moeder gebeld._: the stem _bel_ ends in _l_, so _-d_.

## Use it today

Tonight, write three sentences about your day with regular verbs such as _werken_, _fietsen_, _koken_ or _bellen_, for example _Ik heb soep gekookt._ Before you write each ending, find the stem and ask yourself: is that letter on the ship?

## Questions learners ask

**What does 't kofschip mean in Dutch grammar?**

't kofschip is a memory word for the consonants t, k, f, s, ch and p, plus x. If the stem of a regular verb ends in one of them, the past forms end in -t and -te, as in gewerkt and werkte; otherwise they usually end in -d and -de. Verbs with v or z in the infinitive, like leven and reizen, take -d and -de.

**Is it gereisd or gereist?**

It is gereisd. The stem reis ends in s, but the infinitive reizen has a z, which is not in 't kofschip, so you write gereisd and reisde.

**When do you use -te or -de in the Dutch past tense?**

Use -te when the stem of a regular verb ends in t, k, f, s, ch, p or x (werkte, fietste) and -de after other letters (woonde, belde). For stems ending in f or s, check the infinitive: leven and reizen give leefde and reisde.

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