Bekomen

Bekomen is a Dutch verb used primarily to describe recovery from illness or the effect something has on a person. In contemporary Dutch it most often appears in expressions such as "beter bekomen van" (to recover from) and "het heeft me goed bekomen" (it has agreed with me / it did me good). The verb conveys both physical recuperation and a more general sense of how an experience, food, or event affects someone’s condition.

Etymology and cognates: Bekomen is of Germanic origin and is cognate with German bekommen, which generally means "to receive" and has developed a different primary sense in German. While there is overlap in older usage where bekomen could mean "to obtain" or "to get," the recovery- and effect-related senses are dominant in modern Dutch.

Usage and grammar: Bekomen is a regular verb in Dutch conjugation and commonly appears with prepositions like van (from). It can be used impersonally ("Hij is snel bekomen van de griep" — He recovered quickly from the flu) or transitively/impactfully ("Dat eten heeft haar goed bekomen" — That food agreed with her). Regional and stylistic variation exist; some senses are more frequent in Belgium and in formal or idiomatic contexts.

Cultural notes: The phrase "het heeft me niet goed bekomen" is a common way to express that something had an adverse effect, and the word remains a straightforward part of everyday Dutch for discussing health and well-being.