Breakdown of Ik heb zojuist het formulier verstuurd.
ik
I
hebben
to have
het formulier
the form
zojuist
just
versturen
to send
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Questions & Answers about Ik heb zojuist het formulier verstuurd.
What does zojuist mean, and how does it compare to net, zo-even, pas, and onlangs?
- zojuist = just now; literally moments ago. Slightly more neutral/formal than colloquial.
- net = just/just now; the most common everyday choice. Example: Ik heb net het formulier verstuurd.
- zo-even = just a moment ago; a bit formal/old-fashioned but perfectly correct.
- pas = only just / not until. Example: Ik heb het pas verstuurd can mean “I only just sent it,” often with a slight emphasis on “only.”
- onlangs = recently; not necessarily moments ago. Example: Ik heb onlangs het formulier verstuurd.
Where can zojuist go in the sentence? Are there other natural word orders?
All of these are fine, with small differences in emphasis:
- Ik heb zojuist het formulier verstuurd. (neutral; time right after the finite verb)
- Ik heb het formulier zojuist verstuurd. (object before time adverb)
- Zojuist heb ik het formulier verstuurd. (fronts the time for emphasis/focus) If the object is a pronoun, it normally comes before short adverbs like zojuist:
- Ik heb het zojuist verstuurd. (preferred over: ✗ Ik heb zojuist het verstuurd)
Why is it heb verstuurd (present perfect) and not a simple past like verstuurde?
Spoken Dutch prefers the present perfect for past events, especially with “recent-time” adverbs like zojuist/net. Ik verstuurde het formulier zojuist is grammatical but sounds bookish/odd in everyday speech. Without a “just now” adverb and in narratives, the simple past is more common (e.g., Gisteren verstuurde ik het formulier).
Could I use zijn instead of hebben here?
No. Versturen takes hebben because it’s a transitive action (you send something). Zijn is used with many intransitive verbs of movement or change of state (e.g., Ik ben zojuist aangekomen).
What’s the difference between verstuurd and verzonden?
They’re near-synonyms:
- verstuurd (from versturen) is very common and neutral, often used for emails, messages, and forms.
- verzonden (from verzenden) can feel a bit more formal/administrative and is frequent in logistics or official contexts (e.g., parcels, official letters).
In most everyday contexts, either is fine.
How do I spell the participle: verstuurd or verstuurt? Why?
- The participle is verstuurd (with -d).
- verstuurt (with -t) is the 2nd/3rd person singular present tense: jij/hij/zij verstuurt.
The -d ending follows the Dutch spelling rule (‘t kofschip/’t fokschaap): the verb stem ends in a voiced consonant (r), so the participle takes -d. Also note the double uu stays: verstuurd.
Why is there no ge- in verstuurd?
Because ver- is an inseparable prefix. Verbs with prefixes like be-, ge-, her-, ont-, ver- do not add an extra ge- in the past participle. Hence verstuurd, not ✗geverstuurd.
Is versturen a separable verb?
No, versturen is inseparable.
Compare with separable verbs:
- opsturen → participle: opgestuurd; main clause: Ik stuur het formulier op.
- doorsturen → doorgestuurd (to forward)
But versturen stays as verstuurd and does not split.
Can I replace het formulier with a pronoun, and does the word order change?
Yes:
- Ik heb het zojuist verstuurd.
Object pronouns (het, hem, haar, ze, die, dat) typically come before short adverbs like niet, al, ook, nog, net, zojuist, pas in main clauses with an auxiliary.
Can I start the sentence with Zojuist?
Yes:
- Zojuist heb ik het formulier verstuurd.
Fronting zojuist adds focus to the timing and is stylistically fine in both speech and writing.
How do I pronounce zojuist and verstuurd?
- zojuist: roughly [zoː-yooyst]. The ui sound (in juist) is the Dutch vowel [œy]/[øʏ], which has no direct English equivalent; think of something between “uh” and “oy” with rounded lips.
- verstuurd: roughly [ver-STEW-rt]. The uu is the long front rounded vowel [yː], like French u in “lune”. The final -rd is pronounced, with a Dutch r.
Is formulier a de or het word? How do I know?
It’s het formulier (neuter). Unfortunately, there isn’t a reliable rule for all nouns; you mostly have to learn each noun’s gender. Dictionaries list it; the indefinite form is een formulier.
Is zojuist more formal than net? Which sounds more natural?
Both are common. net is the most colloquial everyday choice; zojuist is slightly more neutral/formal. In casual speech, many people would say Ik heb net het formulier verstuurd.
If I want to say “I just submitted the form,” is verstuurd the best verb?
Often, yes, but for official “submission” these are very natural:
- Ik heb zojuist het formulier ingestuurd. (send in)
- Ik heb zojuist het formulier ingediend. (submit, formal/administrative)
Use opgestuurd for physically sending something by post, and doorgestuurd for forwarding.
How do I turn this into a yes/no question?
Invert subject and auxiliary:
- Heb ik zojuist het formulier verstuurd?
- With a pronoun object: Heb ik het zojuist verstuurd?
How would this look in a subordinate clause?
- …dat ik zojuist het formulier heb verstuurd.
In subordinate clauses, verbs go to the end; the common order with two verbs here is heb verstuurd (some regional variation allows verstuurd heb, but heb verstuurd is the safe, standard choice).