The Present Participle
The present participle (tegenwoordig deelwoord) describes an ongoing action. It is the Dutch equivalent of English words ending in "-ing", such as whistling, smiling, or shouting.
Forming the present participle is very simple: just add -d to the full infinitive of the verb.
| Infinitive | Present Participle | English |
|---|---|---|
| fluiten | fluitend | whistling |
| zuchten | zuchtend | sighing |
| zwaaien | zwaaiend | waving |
As an Adverb of Manner
You can use the present participle as an adverb to describe how someone performs an action, often through accompanying body language or sounds. When used as an adverb, the present participle does not change its form.
| The boy walks on the street whistling. | De jongen loopt fluitend op straat. |
| The man gives the answer, sighing. | De man geeft zuchtend het antwoord. |
| The angry boss runs shouting through the office. | De boze baas rent schreeuwend door het kantoor. |
Starting the Sentence
Just like other adverbs, you can place the present participle at the beginning of a sentence to give it more emphasis. When you do this, remember to apply inversion: the conjugated verb must take the second position, immediately followed by the subject.
| Sighing, the student closes the book. | Zuchtend sluit de student het boek. |
| Waving, we leave. | Zwaaiend gaan we weg. |
| Smiling, the woman opens the door. | Glimlachend opent de vrouw de deur. |
If the present participle has its own modifiers or objects (like a prepositional phrase), the entire block acts as the first position. The conjugated verb still comes immediately after this entire phrase.
| Staring at the screen, he drinks coffee. | Starend naar het scherm drinkt hij koffie. |
