zijn
to be
Beginner Verb
🔊
Pronunciation
/zɛɪ̯n/
💡
Cultural Note
'Zijn' is the most irregular Dutch verb and the most essential. It also serves as the auxiliary for movement verbs and state-change verbs in the perfect tense. The imperative 'wees' (be!) appears in expressions like 'Wees voorzichtig!' (Be careful!).
📝 Example Sentences
Ik ben blij je te zien!
I'm happy to see you!
Wie ben jij?
Who are you?
We zijn al drie jaar samen.
We've been together for three years.