Betrouwen

Betrouwen is a Dutch term that occurs as both a noun and a verb. As a noun, betrouwen refers to trust, confidence, or reliance in someone or something—such as in a person, a process, or an institution. As a verb, betrouwen means to place trust in or to rely on someone or something. In contemporary standard Dutch, the verb is less common than the synonymous vertrouwen; betrouwen is encountered mainly in formal, legal, or historical contexts, and in fixed expressions like betrouwen op or betrouwen in (the exact constructions vary by region and register). The related adjective is betrouwbaar (reliable), formed from the same root, with the opposite onbetrouwbaar (unreliable).

Etymology and related terms: Betrouwen is linked to Dutch roots associated with fidelity and faithfulness and is connected to other terms such as vertrouwen and betrouwbaar, all sharing a common semantic core of trust and dependability. The word is attested in older texts and remains in formal or ceremonial language, including legal formulations and philosophical discussions about trust in systems or authorities.

Usage and context: In practice, betrouwen is more common in formal, historical, or legal language. In everyday conversation, speakers usually prefer vertrouwen to express general trust, while betrouwen may appear when emphasizing reliance on a process, institution, or authority with a normative dimension.

See also: vertrouwen, betrouwbaar, betrouwbaarheid.