📚 Free Dutch Lesson
Master hebben (to have) in Dutch: present tense, past tense, perfect tense auxiliary, and idiomatic expressions. With full conjugation tables and a 5-question quiz.
Present tenseall 7 forms
Past: had/haddensimple past
Perfect auxiliarymost verbs
5-Q Quiztest yourself
Why hebben is essential: Hebben (to have) is used to express possession, feelings, and forms the perfect tense of most Dutch verbs. Learn it alongside zijn from day one.
Present Tense — Hebben
| Pronoun | Dutch | English |
|---|---|---|
| ik | heb | I have |
| jij / je | hebt (inverted: heb) | you have |
| u (formal) | heeft / hebt | you have |
| hij / zij / het | heeft | he/she/it has |
| wij / we | hebben | we have |
| jullie | hebben | you (pl.) have |
| zij / ze | hebben | they have |
Past Tense — Hebben (Imperfectum)
| Pronoun | Dutch | English |
|---|---|---|
| ik / jij / hij / zij / het | had | had |
| wij / jullie / zij | hadden | had |
Hebben in the Perfect Tense
Most Dutch verbs use hebben as auxiliary in the perfect tense. The past participle goes to the end.
Ik heb gewerkt.
I have worked. / I worked.
Zij heeft de brief geschreven.
She has written the letter.
Wij hebben Nederlands gestudeerd.
We have studied Dutch.
Common Expressions with Hebben
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| honger hebben | to be hungry (lit: to have hunger) |
| dorst hebben | to be thirsty |
| pijn hebben | to be in pain |
| gelijk hebben | to be right |
| zin hebben in | to feel like (doing something) |
| haast hebben | to be in a hurry |
💡 Dutch vs English: Many English "to be + adjective" phrases are "to have + noun" in Dutch. Ik heb honger (lit. "I have hunger") = "I am hungry".
Quick quiz — Verb: Hebben
Q1: How do you say 'I have' in Dutch?
Q2: 'Zij ___ de brief geschreven.' Which form?
Q3: What is the past tense of 'hebben' for 'ik'?
Q4: 'Ik heb honger' means…
Q5: Perfect tense: most verbs use ___ as auxiliary.
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