Conjugating English Loanverbs
Dutch borrows many English verbs, especially for technology and business. These are conjugated using standard Dutch rules, based on the pronunciation of the English stem.
If the English stem ends in a voiced sound (like L, M, N, R, or a vowel), use -de(n) for the simple past and ge- + -d for the present perfect. If it ends in a voiceless sound (like K, P, S, F, or CH), use -te(n) and ge- + -t.
If the stem already ends in a T or D, the simple past will have a double "tt" or "dd".
Silent "e" Stems
When an English verb ends in a silent "e" (like delete or manage), Dutch keeps this "e" in the written stem so the pronunciation stays clear.
- deleten: stem is delete (ends in a voiceless "t" sound). Past is deletete(n), participle is gedeletet.
- managen: stem is manage (ends in a voiced "dj" sound). Past is managede(n), participle is gemanaged.
Tremas in Past Participles
If adding the ge- prefix to a participle creates a confusing vowel combination (like ge + u or ge + e), Dutch adds a trema (diaeresis) to the second vowel to show it is a new syllable.
- editen becomes geëdit
- updaten becomes geüpdatet
Just like native Dutch verbs, past participles of loanwords can be used as adjectives. If the adjective requires an ending -e, you just add it to the participle.
Other English Sounds
English consonants like "ch" and "sh" are voiceless, so verbs like pitchen take -te and -t. The same applies to the "f" in briefen.