When do you use BEN, or when do you use HEB?
Often you can use both. But it’s not always correct. A lot of Dutch people don’t know that, it sounds o.k. so they use it. But in some conversations, the difference between the meaning of these two words can be big;
The best example (we think) to show the difference is in these two sentences:
– ik BEN geslagen (I’ve been hit)
– ik HEB geslagen (I Hit)
or as in:
– Ik BEN gaan slapen (I went to sleep)
– Ik HEB geslapen (I’ve slept)
But in this example the difference is almost not noticeable:
1.) Ik BEN mijn boeken vergeten (I forgot my books)
2.) ik HEB mijn boeken vergeten (I forgot my books)
There IS a difference:
in the first sentence: Ik BEN makes IK the most important part of the sentence.
In the second sentence: Ik HEB makes MIJN BOEKEN the most important part of the sentence.
General rules/ pointers/ hints
- With most verbs you use HEB.
- You use BEN with the verbs aangekomen (arrive), begonnen (start), gebleven (stay), gegaan (go), gekomen (come), geworden (become).
- With verbs of motion, you use HEB when it concerns motion and BEN when it concerns a direction. (Ik HEB gereden > Ik BEN naar huis gereden)
IK BEN
As discussed in lesson 1 (general/basic): I AM (or we ARE) a human, or I AM (or we ARE) tired. You use ik BEN to tell about what you are, what (or how) you feel, a condition, a (emotional) state you are in. Or an event or experience that you undergo. So the focus is on YOU. Most of the time in case of: IK BEN, HIJ IS, WIJ ZIJN the most important part of the sentence is IK, HIJ of WIJ. You can also say that BEN/ ZIJN is used in non-static situations.
In the case of “I’ve been hit”: you undergo an experience, you’ve received a hit.
IK HEB
I HAVE (or we HAVE) a house, or I HAVE (or we HAVE) money. You can use ik HEB to tell about what you have or have done, or when you perform an action, but also when you are in a state of mind or (was) in a situation. So when you hit someone, you perform an action. Therefore, we use: ik HEB geslagen.
But also when you are on the receiving end of a hit (that’s a situation) you can say: Ik HEB een klap gekregen. (I’ve been hit). Another example of “being” in a situation: ik HEB een probleem (i have a problem). You are in a situation.
Please keep in mind that it’s not that handy to do this “in English” in your head, cause (for example) the translation in English for “ik BEN geslagen” en “Ik HEB een klap gekregen” is the same: I’ve been hit