Draag

Draag is the Dutch verb dragen in its present tense form, meaning to carry or to wear, depending on the context. It covers physical actions such as carrying an object, as well as wearing clothing, and it can be used figuratively to denote bearing or accepting duties, responsibilities, or burdens. Examples include ik draag een jas (I am wearing a coat) and iemand dragen een last (to bear a burden). The imperative form draag is used for direct commands, meaning “carry!” or “wear!”.

Conjugation and usage: In the present tense the forms are ik draag, jij draagt, hij/zij draagt, wij dragen, jullie dragen, zij dragen. The past tense is vervoed as ik droeg, jij droeg, hij/zij droeg, wij droegen, jullie droegen, zij droegen. The past participle is gedragen, which appears in perfect tenses such as ik heb gedragen (I have worn/carried). Dutch also uses a passive-like construction with worden, as in iets wordt gedragen (something is worn or carried). The verb is transitive and can take direct objects, as in een jas dragen or een last dragen.

Draag- compounds and senses: The verb forms the basis of several common compounds that express related ideas. Draagvlak refers to a base of support or backing for a plan or policy. Draagkracht and draagvermogen denote load-bearing capacity or the ability to bear weight or responsibility, often used in engineering or ergonomics. Draagmoeder refers to a surrogate mother. In general, compounds with draag convey ideas of support, capacity, and carrying.

Etymology: Draag originates in Old Dutch dragen and is cognate with similar Germanic forms such as German tragen. It has inherited a broad range of literal and figurative meanings that persist in modern Dutch usage.

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