Gemakkelijk

Gemakkelijk is a Dutch adjective meaning easy to do, simple, or convenient. It can describe tasks, processes, objects, or situations that do not require much effort or are straightforward to use. In everyday language, it is close in meaning to makelijk or makkelijk, but it often carries a slightly more formal or neutral tone.

Grammatical usage and forms: The base form is gemakkelijk. The comparative is gemakkelijker, and the superlative is gemakkelijkst. When used before a noun, the attributive form typically appears as gemakkelijke (e.g., een gemakkelijke taak, de gemakkelijke route). Predicative use, as in a clause after a linking verb, uses the intact form: Het is gemakkelijk, Het bleek gemakkelijker dan verwacht. Adverbially, the word remains gemakkelijk, as in Het is gemakkelijk te doen.

Etymology and related terms: Gemakkelijk is formed from the noun gemak, meaning ease or convenience, with the suffix -lijk, which creates adjectives indicating a characteristic. The related noun gemaks- and the verb phrase ermee te maken are common in Dutch, and the synonym makkelijl is largely historical; today gewoon is more common in casual speech for “easy,” while gemakkelijk often covers both ease and convenience in a neutral register.

Use in context: Gemakkelijk emphasizes simplicity or lack of difficulty, and is commonly used in instructions, product descriptions, and guidance. It contrasts with harder or more demanding alternatives and with terms like handig, which stress practical usefulness rather than sheer ease.

In Flemish Dutch, gemakkelijke and gemakkelijk are likewise used with similar meanings and inflections.