The past tense you actually need

Where English says 'I worked yesterday', spoken Dutch says 'Ik heb gisteren gewerkt' — literally 'I have yesterday worked'. This is the default past tense in conversation. The simple past exists but is mostly for writing and storytelling.

hebben/zijn (in slot 2) + … + participle (at the very end).

Building a regular participle: ge + stem + t or d. Use -d if the stem ends in a voiced sound, -t otherwise. The memory trick Dutch schools use is 't kofschip: if the stem ends in t, k, f, s, ch or p, use -t.

• werken → gewerkt

  worked

  stem ends in k → t

• mailen → gemaild

  emailed

  stem ends in l → d

• bellen → gebeld

  called

  stem ends in l → d

• praten → gepraat

  talked

  stem ends in t → t

Use zijn instead of hebben when the verb is movement or a change of state: gaan, komen, blijven, worden, beginnen, gebeuren.

• Ik ben naar huis gegaan.

  I went home.

  movement → zijn

• Ik ben ziek geworden.

  I got ill.

  change of state → zijn

• Ik heb het gedaan.

  I did it.

  everything else → hebben