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T-rules

The T(ea)-rules (T(hee)-regels), are a set of conjugation rules used in the Dutch language to determine whether the second person singular/plural and the first and third person singular of a verb end in -t or not. These rules are related to the 't kofschip-rule, which is used to determine the verb end for past tenses and participles. The combined sets of rules are also known as the d/t-rules.

  • Ik drink nooit t(hee) (I (ik) never drink t(ea))
  • Jij drinkt alleen t(hee) (als 'je' tegenwoordig is en voorafgaat aan 'drinkt') (You (jij) only drink t(ea) (if 'you' is present and precedes drinks (drinkt)) (informal)
  • Gij drinkt altijd t(hee) (Thou (gij) always drinkst t(ea)) (archaic/informal in Belgium)
  • U drinkt enkel t(hee) (als 'u' tegenwoordig is) (You (U/u) only drink t(ea)) (if 'you' is present) (formal)
  • Hij drinkt enkel t(hee) (als 'hij' tegenwoordig is) (He (hij) only drinks t(ea)) (if 'he' is present)

However the actual rules for Dutch conjugation are more complex.