hebben

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch hebben, from Old Dutch hebban, from Proto-Germanic *habjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂p- (“to grasp”). Compare Low German hebben, German haben, West Frisian hawwe, English have, Danish have.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɦɛ.bə(n)/

• audio

  (file)

Verb

hebben

1. (transitive) To have; to possess, own, hold.

   Hebt u een minuut?

   Do you have a minute?

2. (transitive, medicine) to be afflicted with a disease

   Ik heb longkanker.

   I have lung cancer.

3. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the perfect tense of the active voice of most verbs, together with a past participle.

   Ik heb het koekje opgegeten.

   I have eaten the biscuit.

   Ze hadden hun auto net gewassen.

   They had only just washed their car.

4. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the perfect tense with the modal verbs (kunnen, zullen, hoeven, moeten, mogen, willen, durven, zien, horen).

   Hij heeft naar huis moeten lopen.

   He has had to walk home.

   Ik heb hem horen praten.

   I have heard him speak.

   Dat had je zullen doen.

   You had been going to do that.

Conjugation

Conjugation of hebben (weak, irregular)

infinitive	hebben
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	heb	had
2nd person singular	hebt	had
2nd person sing. (u)	hebt, heeft	had
2nd person sing. (gij)	hebt	hadt
3rd person singular	heeft	had
plural	hebben	hadden
subjunctive sing.1	hebbe	hadde
subjunctive plur.1	hebben	hadden
imperative sing.	heb
imperative plur.1	hebt
participles	hebbend	(hebben) gehad
1) Archaic.

Usage notes

In spoken language of the Netherlands, heb is often used as second person singular present tense.

English: You didn't do that, did you?

Standard Dutch: Je hebt dat niet gedaan, toch?

Netherlandic: Je heb dat nie gedaan, toch?

Compare Flemish: G'ebt da toch nie gedaan? - ge/gij always requires a t

Synonyms

• bezitten

Derived terms

• hebben en houden

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German Low German

Alternative forms

• (eastern Low Prussian) hebbe
• (in various dialects) hewwen, häwwen, häbben, hęwwen, hębben

Etymology

From Old Saxon hebbian, from Proto-Germanic *habjaną.

Verb

hebben

1. (in several dialects, including western Low Prussian) to have

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Low German

Etymology

From Old Saxon hebbian, from Proto-Germanic *habjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂p- (“to grasp”). Compare Dutch hebben, German haben, West Frisian hawwe, English have, Danish have.

Verb

hebben

1. to have

Conjugation

Conjugation of hebben

indicative	present	preterite
1st person singular	heb(b)	hat, harr
2nd person singular	hest, hess	hatst, harrst
3rd person singular	het, hett	hat, harr
plural	hebt	hadden, harrn
subjunctive	present	past
1st person singular	hebbe	hädde
2nd person singular	hebbest	häddest
3rd person singular	hebbe	hädde
plural	hebben	hädden
imperative	present	—
singular	heb
plural	hebt
participle	present	past
	hebbend	(e)hat, (e)hatt

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Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch hebban, from Proto-Germanic *habjaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈhebːən/

Verb

hebben

1. to have

Descendants

• Dutch: hebben