Ik ben steeds moe.

I am tired all the time.

Breakdown of Ik ben steeds moe.

• ik: I
• zijn: to be
• moe: tired
• steeds: constantly

Questions & Answers about Ik ben steeds moe.

What exactly does steeds mean here, and how is it different from altijd?

In Ik ben steeds moe, steeds means something like “constantly / repeatedly / all the time / more and more”, depending on context.

Roughly:

• steeds = again and again, continually, or gradually (often with a sense of repetition or development)
• altijd = always (more absolute and straightforward)

Nuance:

• Ik ben steeds moe.
  → I keep being tired / I’m (still) always tired / I’m tired all the time.
  (Feels like an ongoing or recurring situation that you notice or maybe complain about.)

• Ik ben altijd moe.
  → I am always tired.
  (Stronger, more general statement; sounds like a permanent fact about you.)

In many everyday situations, steeds and altijd overlap and both are possible, but steeds often sounds a bit more like “it keeps happening / it continues to be this way” rather than an absolute always.

Can steeds be placed somewhere else in the sentence?

In a simple main clause like this, the usual and most natural place is:

• Ik ben steeds moe.

Other positions are technically possible but sound marked or less natural here:

• Ik ben moe, steeds.
  → can work in spoken Dutch for emphasis, a bit like “I’m tired. All the time.” (with a pause)

You would not normally say:

• ✗ Ik steeds ben moe.
• ✗ Ik ben moe steeds. (without any special intonation)

So for a learner, stick with subject – verb – steeds – adjective:

• Ik ben steeds moe.

Could I also just say Ik ben altijd moe? What’s the difference in feeling?

Yes, Ik ben altijd moe is perfectly correct and very common.

Nuance:

• Ik ben altijd moe.
  → Sounds quite absolute, like a permanent characteristic: “I’m always tired, that’s just how I am.”

• Ik ben steeds moe.
  → Slightly more dynamic: “I keep feeling tired / I’m (still) always tired these days.”
  It can suggest you’ve noticed it over a period of time or that it’s bothering you now.

In many contexts they can be used interchangeably, but native speakers often choose steeds when talking about an ongoing situation that they’re observing or complaining about.

Is moe a verb or an adjective? How is it used grammatically?

Moe is an adjective meaning tired.

In Ik ben steeds moe:

• Ik = I (subject pronoun)
• ben = am (1st person singular of zijn / to be)
• steeds = continually, all the time
• moe = tired (adjective)

So the structure is just like English:

• Ik ben moe. → I am tired.
• Wij zijn moe. → We are tired.
• Hij is moe. → He is tired.

You can also modify it:

• Ik ben heel moe. → I am very tired.
• Ik ben zo moe. → I am so tired.

What is the difference between Ik ben steeds moe and Ik word steeds moe?

They describe different things:

• Ik ben steeds moe.
  → I am constantly tired.
  Focus: state. You’re in a tired state all the time.

• Ik word steeds moe.
  → Literally: I become tired all the time.
  In practice, often means:

  • either: You’re repeatedly getting tired (e.g. every afternoon, after small efforts, etc.).
  • or: You’re becoming more and more tired over time (because steeds can also mean “increasingly”).

So:

• State, continuous: Ik ben steeds moe.
• Repeated or increasing process: Ik word steeds moe(ër).
  (With moeër = more tired, though many people just say steeds moeier in speech.)

Could I say Ik ben de hele tijd moe instead? Is that different from steeds?

Yes, you can say:

• Ik ben de hele tijd moe. → I am tired all the time / the whole time.

Comparison:

• steeds = continually, again and again, keeps being the case
• de hele tijd = all the time, the whole time (more literal, time-focused)

Nuance:

• Ik ben steeds moe.
  → More about an ongoing or repeatedly returning state.

• Ik ben de hele tijd moe.
  → Emphasizes the entire time period; feels slightly more colloquial and emphatic, like: “I’m just tired the whole time.”

Both are natural; choice is mostly about style and emphasis.

Why is it ben and not bent or is? How does zijn conjugate?

Ben, bent, and is are all forms of the verb zijn (to be).

Present tense of zijn:

• ik ben → I am
• jij / je bent → you are (singular, informal)
• u bent → you are (formal)
• hij / zij / ze / het is → he / she / it is
• wij / we zijn → we are
• jullie zijn → you are (plural)
• zij / ze zijn → they are

So:

• Ik ben steeds moe. → I am constantly tired.
• Jij bent steeds moe. → You are constantly tired.
• Hij is steeds moe. → He is constantly tired.

How would I say this in the past tense, like “I was always tired”?

Past tense of zijn:

• ik was → I was
• jij / je was → you were
• hij / zij / ze / het was → he / she / it was
• wij / jullie / zij waren → we / you (pl.) / they were

With steeds:

• Ik was steeds moe.
  → I was constantly / repeatedly tired.

If you want the more direct “always”:

• Ik was altijd moe.
  → I was always tired.

Both are natural; again, steeds gives a slightly more “ongoing / repeatedly” flavor.

Where would I put niet if I want to say “I’m not always tired”?

You usually put niet before steeds or altijd:

• Ik ben niet steeds moe.
  → I am not constantly tired.
  (It’s not the case that I’m tired all the time.)

• Ik ben niet altijd moe.
  → I am not always tired.
  (Sometimes I’m tired, sometimes I’m not.)

Word order pattern:

• Ik ben niet [adverb like steeds/altijd] moe.
  subject – verb – niet – frequency adverb – adjective

Are there any common expressions or small variations with moe that are useful to know?

Yes, very common ones include:

• Ik ben moe. → I am tired.
• Ik ben zo moe. → I’m so tired.
• Ik ben heel moe. → I’m very tired.
• Ik ben doodmoe. → I’m exhausted (literally “dead-tired”).
• Ik word moe. → I’m getting tired.
• Ik ben steeds zo moe. → I keep being so tired / I’m always so tired.
• Ik ben nog steeds moe. → I’m still tired. (nog steeds = still)

All of these use moe as an adjective with zijn (ben / bent / is / zijn) or worden (to become / get).