Breakdown of Wij hebben ons erg verheugd op de vakantie.
wij
we
hebben
to have
de vakantie
the holiday
erg
very / really
zich verheugen op
to look forward to
Questions & Answers about Wij hebben ons erg verheugd op de vakantie.
Why is the auxiliary verb hebben used here instead of zijn?
In Dutch, all reflexive verbs (verbs that use a reflexive pronoun like ons) use hebben to form the present perfect tense. You will never use zijn with a reflexive verb.
Why is ons placed right after hebben?
In a main clause in the present perfect tense, the reflexive pronoun (ons) usually goes immediately after the conjugated verb (hebben). The past participle (verheugd) is pushed toward the end of the sentence.
Which verb is used for 'looked forward to' in this sentence?
The full verb is zich verheugen op. It literally translates to something like 'to rejoice oneself on'. When you want to say you are looking forward to something in Dutch, you must use this reflexive verb along with the fixed preposition op.
Why doesn't the past participle verheugd start with ge-?
Normally, past participles get a ge- at the beginning. However, verbs that already start with unstressed prefixes like ver-, be-, ont-, or ge- do not get an extra ge-. Since the infinitive is verheugen, the past participle is simply verheugd.
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