T-rules

The T(ea)-rules (''T(hee)-regels''), are a set of conjugation rules used in the Dutch language to determine whether the second person singular/plural and the first and third person singular of a verb end in ''-t'' or not. These rules are related to the 't kofschip-rule, which is used to determine the verb end for past tenses and participles. The combined sets of rules are also known as the d/t-rules.

*''Ik drink nooit t(hee)'' (I (''ik'') never drink t(ea))
*''Jij drinkt alleen t(hee) (als 'je' tegenwoordig is en voorafgaat aan 'drinkt')'' (You (''jij'') only drink t(ea) (if 'you' is present and precedes drinks (''drinkt'')) (informal)
*''Gij drinkt altijd t(hee)'' (Thou (''gij'') always drinkst t(ea)) (archaic/informal in Belgium)
*''U drinkt enkel t(hee) (als 'u' tegenwoordig is)'' (You (''U''/''u'') only drink t(ea)) (if 'you' is present) (formal)
*''Hij drinkt enkel t(hee) (als 'hij' tegenwoordig is)'' (He (''hij'') only drinks t(ea)) (if 'he' is present)

Second person pronouns

The pronoun ''jij/je'' only calls for the verb to end in ''-t'' if it precedes the verb, and if the verb is in the present simple or present perfect indicative. Modal verbs and the future/conditional auxiliary ''zullen'' allow forms with and without ''-t'' (but the subject pronoun must still precede the verb for the ''-t'' form to appear).

*''Jij'' gaat naar school. ("You go to school", simple present indicative, ''jij'' precedes verb)
*Ga ''jij'' naar school? ("Do you go to school?", ''jij'' does not precede verb)
*''Je'' zou naar school gaan. ("You would go to school", conditional auxiliary)
*''Jij'' ging naar school. ("You went to school", past tense)
*''Je'' kan naar school gaan. ("You can go to school", modal form without ''t'')
*''Je'' kunt naar school gaan. ("You can go to school", modal ''t''-form, ''je'' precedes verb)
*Kun ''je'' naar school gaan? ("Can you go to school?", modal, ''je'' does not precede verb)
*''Je'' zal naar school gaan. ("You will go to school", future auxiliary without ''t'')
*''Je'' zult naar school gaan. ("You will go to school", future auxiliary ''t''-form, ''je'' precedes verb)
*Zul ''je'' naar school gegaan zijn? ("Will you have gone to school?", future auxiliary, ''je'' does not precede verb)

If the stem of the verb ends in ''-t'', the ''jij'' form always ends in ''-t'':

*''Jij'' rust. ("You rest", ''je'' precedes verb)
*Rust ''jij''? ("Do you rest?", ''je'' does not precede verb)

With the verbs ''houden'', ''rijden'' and verbs derived from them, the ''-d'' of the radical can be dropped if it is not followed by ''-t''. In a formal context, usually the ''d'' is not dropped.

*Hou ''jij'' van bloemen ("Do you like flowers?")
*Houd ''jij'' van bloemen ("Do you like flowers?", formal)
*''Jij'' houdt van bloemen ("You like flowers", ''jij'' precedes verb)

''Jullie'' (2nd plural)

The pronoun ''jullie'' always makes the verb end in ''-en''. The ending ''-t'' is also possible, but this form is archaic (although it does survive in Brabantian dialect).

*''Jullie'' lopen naar school. ("You walk to school")
*''Jullie'' loopt naar school. ("You/ye walk to school", archaic)

''Gij/ge'' (2nd sing./plur.)

The pronoun ''gij/ge'' makes the verb end in ''-t'', whether the pronoun precede or follow the verb. Modal and auxiliary forms also end in ''-t''. This pronoun is used informally in spoken language in North Brabant and Flanders only. Its written form only appears in archaic texts where it compares to English ''thou''.

*''Gij'' gaat naar school. ("Thou goest to school", present indicative, ''gij'' precedes)
*Gaat ''gij'' naar school. ("Dost thou go to school?" / "Goest thou to school?", ''gij'' follows)
*''Ge'' zoudt naar school gaan. ("Thou wouldst go to school", conditional)
*''Gij'' gingt naar school. ("Thou wentst to school", past)
*''Ge'' kunt naar school gaan. ("Thou canst go to school", modal)

No extra ''-t'' is added if the verb stem already end in ''-t''. The ending ''-t'' is added after ''-d'':
*''Gij'' rust. ("Thou restest")
*Houdt ''gij'' van bloemen? ("Dost thou like flowers?" / "Likest thou flowers?")
*''Gij'' houdt van bloemen ("Thou likest flowers")

In the subjunctive and in the regular past, the ''-t'' survives only as an archaic form:

*''Gij'' neme(t) een lepel suiker. ("Thou takest a spoon of sugar" / "That thou mayst take a spoon of sugar", present subjunctive)
*Werkte(t) ''ge'' hard? ("Didst thou work hard?" / "Workedst thou hard?", regular past)

In informal speech (only in Flanders/Brabant), the verb ends in ''-de'' or ''-te'', if ''gij'' follows the verb. In very informal speech (only in Flanders/Brabant), the subject is dropped altogether. The ''-e'' ending after the stem is a remnant of the Middle Dutch pronoun ''di'' which, over the centuries, developed into a clitic.

*Zijde ''gij'' blind! Ziede dat nu niet? ("Are you blind! Didn't (you) see that?", informal)

Third person singular and ''u''/''U''

The rules for third person singular subjects and the pronoun ''u''/''U'' (2nd person sing./plur.) are the same: the verb takes ''-t'' in the simple present and present perfect tense of the indicative. Modal verbs and ''zullen'' (will) have forms without ''-t''. This pronoun is formal and is used in both written and spoken language. The spelling with a capital ''U'' is very formal and is used for royalty or deities.

*''Hij'' gaat naar school. ("He goes to school", present indicative)
*Gaat ''u'' naar school. ("Do you go to school", present indicative)
*''Hij'' zou naar school gaan. ("He would go to school", conditional)
*''U'' ging naar school. ("You went to school", past)
*''Zij'' kan naar school gaan. ("She can go to school", modal)

The first person singular for non-modal verb is identical to the radical. The form can end in a vowel or in a consonant (including ''t''). For the verbs ''houden'', ''rijden'' and their derivatives, the ''-d'' of the radical can be dropped in spoken language. In a formal context, the ''d'' is not dropped.
*''Ik'' ga naar school ("I go to school")
*''Ik'' rust ("I rest", radical ends in ''t'')
*''Ik'' hou van bloemen ("I love flowers", form without ''-d'')
*''Ik'' houd van bloemen ("I love flowers", form with ''-d'', formal)

See also

* Dutch conjugation

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:T-Rules
Grammar
Dutch language