Breakdown of Mijn broer heeft zich gisteren verslapen.
hebben
to have
de broer
the brother
mijn
my
gisteren
yesterday
zich verslapen
to oversleep
Questions & Answers about Mijn broer heeft zich gisteren verslapen.
Why does this sentence use heeft instead of is?
Zich verslapen (to oversleep) is a reflexive verb. In Dutch, all reflexive verbs use the auxiliary verb hebben (here, heeft) in the present perfect tense. You never use zijn with a reflexive verb, no matter what the action is!
I thought 'oversleep' was just a normal verb. Why is zich (himself) in this sentence?
In Dutch, the verb for 'to oversleep' is zich verslapen. It is a strictly reflexive verb, meaning you always have to include a reflexive pronoun. Literally, this sentence says 'My brother has overslept himself.'
Where does the reflexive pronoun (zich) belong in the sentence order?
In a standard main clause, the reflexive pronoun usually goes as close to the conjugated verb as possible. That is why zich comes immediately after heeft, and before the time word gisteren (yesterday).
Why doesn't the past participle verslapen start with ge-?
Usually, past participles get a ge- added to the front. However, if a verb already starts with an unstressed prefix like ver-, be-, or ont-, you do not add ge-. Since the infinitive is verslapen, the past participle is also just verslapen.
Learn Mijn broer heeft zich gisteren verslapen and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free