A nominal predicate contains a special type of finite verb: one of a small group of so-called copular verbs (koppelwerkwoord). A copular verb may be combined with one or more auxiliaries (e.g. when the copular verb appears in the perfect tense or with a modal verb). The copular verb (together with any possible auxiliaries) is known as the verbal part of the nominal predicate.

The rest of the nominal predicate does not consist of verbal elements, but of nominal elements, usually a noun or a noun group, or an adjective or an adjective group (e.g. a combination of an adverb and an adjective). This is called the nominal part of the nominal predicate.

The group of copular verbs is very small indeed. The most common ones are:
- zijn (to be);
- worden (to become); and
- blijven (to stay).

In the following examples, each nominal predicate is printed in bold, and the nominal part of the predicate in white. In the first example ben geweest is the verbal part and voorzitter van de roeivereniging (a noun group) is the nominal part. In the second sentence, wil worden is the verbal part and geen docent (a noun group) is the nominal part of the nominal predicate. In the third sentence the nominal part of the predicate is an adjective group: heel kalm.

The other copular verbs are:
- blijken (to appear);
- lijken (to seem);
- schijnen (to seem);
- heten (to be called);
- dunken (to be of an opinion);
- voorkomen (to seem).

Dunken is an archaic word and is found in fixed expressions of the format: me dunkt dat … (it seems to me that …; cf. archaic English: Methinks … )

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