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The 't kofschip rule (also called 't fokschaap) is a mnemonic that determines the endings of a regular Dutch verb in the past simple indicative/subjunctive and the ending of the past participle. This rule should not be confused with the so-called T-rules (t-regels).
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Rule
The rule goes as follows:
If the verb-root ends in one of the consonants of 't kofschip, being t, f, k, s, ch, and p (or variants[1]), the past simple ends in -te and the past participle in -t. If the verb-root ends in any other consonant or a vowel (except silent e, see later), the past simple ends in -de and the past participle in -d.
For example:
| Verb | Meaning | Verb root | Past simple | Past participle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rusten | to rest | rust- | ik rustte | gerust |
| werken | to work | werk- | ik werkte | gewerkt |
| spelen | to play | spel- | ik speelde | gespeeld |
| leven | to live | lev- | ik leefde | geleefd |
| crashen | to crash | crash- | ik crashte | gecrasht |
| bingoën | to play bingo | bingo- | ik bingode | gebingood |
| faxen | to fax | fax- | ik faxte | gefaxt |
Silent letters at end of root
The rule is expressed in spelling of the verbs, but is actually related to pronunciation. So if the spelled root ends in a silent letter, this letter should be ignored in applying the rule. This includes also the ' (apostrophe) occurring in some verb spellings.
For example:
| Verb | Verb root | Past simple | Past participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| timen (to time) | time | ik timede | getimed |
| racen (to race) | race | ik racete | geracet |
| deleten (to delete) | delete | ik deletete | gedeletet (the "e" between both "t"s remains silent, so the t's are pronounced as one) |
| sms'en (to send a text message) | sms | ik sms'te | ge-sms't |
| gsm'en (to phone using a mobile phone) | gsm | ik gsm'de | ge-gsm'd |
| petanquen (to play pétanque) | petanque | ik petanquete | gepetanquet |
Note
- ^ x ([ks]) and sj ([ʃ]) can be regarded as s-like sounds; q(u) = [k]
References
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
