Which one is right: hij bevestigt or hij bevestigd? Both, depending on the job. Present tense: stem + -t (hij bevestigt, hij vindt). Past participle: check the past tense (bevestigde → bevestigd, scande → gescand). Dutch speakers make this mistake too, because a final d and a final t sound the same.
This guide gives you the three rules that settle it every time, and a quick test for when you are unsure.
Rule 1: in the present tense, hij gets stem + t
Take the infinitive, drop -en to get the stem, and add -t for hij, zij, het and u. The same -t is added to jij when it comes before the verb.
- bevestigen → stem bevestig → Hij bevestigt de afspraak. (He confirms the appointment.)
- scannen → stem scan → Zij scant de brief. (She scans the letter.)
- groeien → stem groei → Het bedrijf groeit snel. (The company is growing fast.)
- communiceren → stem communiceer → Hij communiceert duidelijk. (He communicates clearly.)
You can check any of these on its conjugation page: bevestigen, scannen, groeien and communiceren.
Rule 2: when the stem ends in d, you get dt
If the stem already ends in d, you still add the -t of the present tense. Both letters stay in the spelling, even though you pronounce a single t sound.
- vinden → stem vind → Hij vindt het mooi. (He thinks it is beautiful.)
- worden → stem word → Zij wordt moe. (She is getting tired.)
- antwoorden → stem antwoord → Hij antwoordt altijd snel. (He always answers quickly.)
- houden → stem houd → Zij houdt van koffie. (She likes coffee.)
When the stem ends in t, there is nothing to add: wachten → stem wacht → Hij wacht op de bus. (He is waiting for the bus.), not wachtt.
The dt spelling belongs to the present tense. See vinden and worden for the full tables.
Rule 3: the past participle ends in -d or -t, and the past tense tells you which
After hebben or zijn, you need the past participle: Hij heeft de afspraak bevestigd. (He has confirmed the appointment.) Now you cannot add a -t out of habit, because the participle follows a different rule: ‘t kofschip.
Form the simple past. If it ends in -de, the participle ends in -d. If it ends in -te, the participle ends in -t.
- bevestigen: bevestigde → bevestigd
- scannen: scande → gescand: Ik heb de brief gescand. (I have scanned the letter.)
- groeien: groeide → gegroeid: Het bedrijf is snel gegroeid. (The company has grown fast.)
- communiceren: communiceerde → gecommuniceerd: Wij hebben goed gecommuniceerd. (We communicated well.)
- werken: werkte → gewerkt: Ik heb hard gewerkt. (I have worked hard.)
The past tense is -te only when the stem ends in one of the sounds t, k, f, s, ch, p, the letters of ‘t kofschip. Werk ends in k, so werkte and gewerkt. Scan, groei, bevestig and communiceer end in other sounds, so they take -de and -d. If you want the longer version of this rule, our guide to the Dutch ge- prefix covers it with more examples.
A participle never ends in -dt for these verbs. Antwoorden has a stem that already ends in d, so the participle is simply geantwoord: Heb je al geantwoord? (Have you answered yet?)
Do not trust your ear for a final d or t: they sound the same. Say the past tense out loud instead. Bevestigde has a clear d, so the participle is bevestigd. Werkte has a clear t, so it is gewerkt.
A quick test: present tense or participle?
Swap in a verb whose forms you know cold, such as lezen. If it still fits, you can read the answer off it.
- Hij ___ de afspraak. → Hij leest de afspraak. A present-tense verb is needed, so write bevestigt.
- Hij heeft de afspraak ___. → Hij heeft de afspraak gelezen. A participle is needed, so write bevestigd.
If hebben, zijn or worden sits in the sentence and the verb is at the end, it is almost always the participle: De afspraak is bevestigd. (The appointment has been confirmed.) If the verb is the one doing the action in the present, it is the present tense.
Knowing the rule is not the same as spelling it at speed. In VerbPal you type the form yourself, so vindt, gescand and bevestigd become automatic.
Try VerbPal free →Inversion: when jij loses its -t
In a question where the verb comes first, the -t disappears after jij and je. It stays after hij, zij, het and u.
- Jij vindt het mooi. → Vind jij het mooi? (Do you think it is beautiful?)
- Je bevestigt de afspraak. → Bevestig je de afspraak? (Do you confirm the appointment?)
- Hij vindt het mooi. → Vindt hij het mooi? (Does he think it is beautiful?)
- U bevestigt de afspraak. → Bevestigt u de afspraak? (Do you confirm the appointment? Formal.)
Our guide to Dutch inversion and word order explains the word order that goes with it.
Adjectives from participles
Many participles also work as adjectives. A participle used this way gets an -e ending in front of most nouns, and the d or t is then pronounced, which is one more way to confirm the spelling.
- een bevestigde afspraak (a confirmed appointment)
- de gescande documenten (the scanned documents)
The short version
- Present tense: stem + -t for hij, zij, het and u. If the stem ends in d, you get dt (vindt). If it ends in t, you add nothing (wacht).
- Participle: check the past tense. -de gives -d (gescand), -te gives -t (gewerkt).
- After jij or je: no -t when the verb comes first (Vind je het mooi?).
Practise all three by sentence, not by list: pick a verb like scannen, write its present tense, past tense and participle, then say one full sentence for each. Do this for bevestigen, vinden and groeien and the pattern stops being a guess.
Frequently asked questions
Is it 'hij bevestigt' or 'hij bevestigd'?
Both exist, for different jobs. 'Hij bevestigt de afspraak' is the present tense (he confirms the appointment). 'Hij heeft de afspraak bevestigd' uses the past participle (he has confirmed it). After hebben or zijn you write -d here, because the past tense is 'bevestigde'.
Why do Dutch speakers confuse -d and -t at the end of a word?
A final d is pronounced like a t in Dutch, so 'gescand' and 'scant' sound almost the same. The spelling has to come from the rule, not from your ear.
When does a Dutch verb end in -dt?
Only in the present tense, when the stem already ends in d and you add the -t of hij, zij, het or u: vind becomes 'hij vindt', word becomes 'hij wordt', antwoord becomes 'hij antwoordt'.
Do I add -t after jij when the verb comes first?
No. When jij or je follows the verb, the -t disappears: 'Vind je het mooi?' and 'Bevestig je de afspraak?'. With hij, zij, het and u the -t stays: 'Vindt hij het mooi?'