Biegt

Biegt is the third-person singular present tense of the Dutch verb buigen, which means to bend, curve, or bow. It can refer to a physical bending of an object or to a figurative bending of position, posture, or stance.

Conjugation and forms

The verb buigen is conjugated as follows in the present tense: ik buig, jij buigt, hij/zij/het buigt, wij buigen, jullie buigen, zij buigen. The past tense is boog for singular subjects and bogen for plural subjects (ik boog, jij boog, hij boog; wij bogen, jullie bogen, zij bogen). The past participle is gebogen. In the imperative, singular is Buig! and plural is Buigt!.

Usage and meanings

Biegt can describe the physical action of bending a material, as in De staaf buigt onder druk (The rod bends under pressure). It can also express a human action, such as Buig je hoofd voor de spreker (Bow your head to the speaker) or De reiziger buigt zich over het kaartje (The traveler leans over the ticket). Metaphorically, buigen is used in phrases like zich buigen over een probleem, meaning to devote attention to or study a problem, and buigen voor iemands gezag, meaning to bow to or yield to someone's authority.

Etymology and related terms

Buigen is of Germanic origin and has cognates in related languages, including German biegen and English bend. The form biegt corresponds to the standard Dutch present tense and is part of a broader set of inflected forms for this verb in everyday Dutch usage.

See also

Common expressions with buigen include light bending in geometry or engineering contexts, and metaphorical uses in discourse on authority, responsibility, and problem-solving.