Betuigde

Betuigde is the simple past tense form of the Dutch verb betuigen, meaning to express, to attest, or to bear witness to something. The term is used to describe a completed act of expressing an emotion, a statement, or a fact.

In grammar, betuigde is the singular past tense form, used with first and third persons in standard Dutch. For plural subjects, the past tense takes the form betuigden. The past participle is betuigd and appears with the auxiliary hebben to form perfect tenses, as in ik heb mijn spijt betuigd. The verb is transitive and typically takes a direct object representing what is expressed, such as spijt, dank, of vertrouwen. Common collocations include betuigen van spijt or betuigen dat something is true, with the latter often appearing in formal writing.

Usage notes indicate that betuigen is more formal and literary than everyday verbs like uiten or verklaren. It is frequently found in legal documents, official statements, and literary prose where precise articulation of feelings or declarations is required. In colloquial speech, speakers may choose simpler alternatives to convey the same idea.

Examples:

- Ik betuigde mijn spijt over de fout.

- Zij betuigde haar dank aan alle vrijwilligers.

- Hij heeft al betuigd dat hij verantwoordelijk was.

Etymology traces betuigen to a Germanic origin common to related languages, and the past tense form betuigde reflects regular Dutch conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -igen. See also betuigen, getuigen, and uiten for related expressions of stating or declaring.