Vertrekken is the verb you need for trains, planes, and dramatic exits: to depart, to leave, to set off. It is the word on every Dutch departure board (Vertrek 14:32) and the natural choice when the focus is on the act of leaving a place rather than abandoning it. Grammatically it bundles two features English speakers must watch: it is a strong verb (vertrek → vertrok → vertrokken), and its prefix ver- is inseparable and unstressed, so the participle takes no ge- — it is vertrokken, never gevertrokken or gevertrekt. Like other verbs of departure and motion-to-a-new-state, it forms its perfect with zijn: De trein is vertrokken.
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Simple past (sg.) | Past participle | Perfect auxiliary |
|---|---|---|---|
| vertrekken | vertrok | vertrokken | zijn |
Classification: strong, inseparable prefix. The bare root trekken (to pull) is itself strong — trekken → trok → getrokken — and vertrekken simply inherits that ablaut while the inseparable ver- blocks the ge- of the participle. So: vertrok in the past, vertrokken as the participle, with the doubled kk keeping the vowel short.
Present tense
| Person | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| ik | vertrek | I depart |
| jij / je | vertrekt | you depart |
| u | vertrekt | you depart (formal) |
| hij / zij / het | vertrekt | he / she / it departs |
| wij / we | vertrekken | we depart |
| jullie | vertrekken | you (pl.) depart |
| zij / ze | vertrekken | they depart |
The stem is vertrek (single k; the kk returns before a vowel ending in vertrekken). Standard endings: bare stem for ik, vertrekt for jij/hij, vertrekken for plurals. After an inverted jij the -t drops: vertrek jij?
Onze trein vertrekt over tien minuten van spoor 5.
Our train leaves in ten minutes from platform 5. Third-person singular 'vertrekt'.
Simple past: vertrok and vertrokken
Strong past: singular vertrok, plural vertrokken. As with beginnen, the plural past vertrokken matches the participle vertrokken in spelling — the auxiliary or the subject tells you which is meant.
| Person | Past form |
|---|---|
| ik / jij / u / hij / zij / het | vertrok |
| wij / jullie / zij (pl.) | vertrokken |
Ze vertrok zonder iets te zeggen.
She left without saying a word. Singular strong past 'vertrok'.
The perfect: ben vertrokken (zijn + no ge-)
Departure is a change of location, so the auxiliary is zijn. And the inseparable ver- means the participle is plain vertrokken — no ge-.
| Person | Perfect | English |
|---|---|---|
| ik | ben vertrokken | I have departed / left |
| jij / u | bent vertrokken | you have left |
| hij / zij / het | is vertrokken | he/she/it has left |
| wij / jullie / zij | zijn vertrokken | we/you/they have left |
De gasten zijn al vertrokken.
The guests have already left. 'zijn ... vertrokken' — auxiliary zijn, participle without ge-.
Imperative
| Form | Use | English |
|---|---|---|
| Vertrek! | singular command | Leave! / Get out! |
| Vertrek nu maar vast. | everyday phrase | Go ahead and set off now. |
| Vertrek op tijd. | practical advice | Leave on time. |
Three model sentences
Wij vertrekken zondag naar Spanje.
We're leaving for Spain on Sunday. Present used for a planned future departure.
Het vliegtuig vertrok met een uur vertraging.
The plane departed an hour late. Strong past 'vertrok'.
Hij is uit boosheid vertrokken.
He left in anger. Perfect with 'zijn' and the no-ge- participle 'vertrokken'.
When to reach for vertrekken
Native speakers default to vertrekken for scheduled or deliberate departures — a train, a flight, a tour group, a person setting off on a trip. For simply going away in casual speech, weggaan is often more idiomatic (Ik ga nu weg rather than Ik vertrek nu, unless you mean a formal setting-off). And on signage and timetables you will almost always meet the noun forms: vertrek (departure), vertrektijd (departure time), vertrekhal (departure hall at the airport). Recognising the root in those nouns reinforces the verb.
Common Mistakes
❌ De trein heeft om negen uur vertrokken.
Incorrect — vertrekken takes 'zijn', not 'hebben', in the perfect.
✅ De trein is om negen uur vertrokken.
The train left at nine o'clock.
❌ Ze zijn gisteren gevertrokken.
Incorrect — inseparable 'ver-' takes no ge-: the participle is 'vertrokken'.
✅ Ze zijn gisteren vertrokken.
They left yesterday.
❌ Hij vertrekte vroeg.
Incorrect — vertrekken is strong; the past is 'vertrok', not a weak 'vertrekte'.
✅ Hij vertrok vroeg.
He left early.
❌ Ik ben mijn baan vertrokken.
Incorrect — with a direct object use 'verlaten'; 'vertrekken' is intransitive.
✅ Ik heb mijn baan verlaten.
I left my job.
❌ Wanneer vertrek je trein?
Incorrect — the subject is 'je trein' (third person), so the verb is 'vertrekt': 'Wanneer vertrekt je trein?'
✅ Wanneer vertrekt je trein?
When does your train leave?
Key Takeaways
- Strong verb: vertrek · vertrok / vertrokken · vertrokken, auxiliary zijn.
- Inseparable ver- → no ge- in the participle: vertrokken, never gevertrokken/gevertrekt.
- Plural past and participle are both vertrokken; the subject or auxiliary disambiguates.
- Vertrekken (depart, intransitive) vs verlaten (leave something behind, transitive).
- It is the standard verb of travel departures — read it off any Dutch Vertrektijden (departure times) board.
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Start learning Dutch→Related Topics
- Verb Reference: How to Use These TablesA2 — A guide to reading the verb-reference pages: what each conjugation table shows (present, simple past, perfect with its auxiliary, participle), how strong/weak/mixed verbs are labelled, why the auxiliary is flagged, and which verbs to master first.
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