Geven

Geven is a Dutch verb meaning to give. It is an irregular, common verb in the language and appears across many contexts, from everyday exchanges to formal communication. Geven is cognate with German geben and English give, reflecting shared roots in the Germanic language family.

Conjugation and forms. In the present tense the forms are: ik geef, jij geeft, hij geeft, wij geven, jullie geven, zij geven. The simple past tense is: ik gaf, jij gaf, hij gaf, wij gaven, jullie gaven, zij gaven. The past participle is gegeven, and the perfect tense is formed with the auxiliary hebben: ik heb gegeven, jij hebt gegeven, hij heeft gegeven, wij hebben gegeven, jullie hebben gegeven, zij hebben gegeven. The future can be expressed with zal geven or gaan geven, among other constructions. The imperative forms are geef (singular) and geeft (plural), with an inclusive form laten we geven.

Usage and syntax. Geven takes a direct object representing what is given and a recipient, often expressed with a dative-like construction: ik geef iemand iets (I give someone something). Common examples include geld geven (to give money), een cadeau geven (to give a gift), en iemand iets geven. Dutch also uses several separable verb compounds built with geven, such as teruggeven (to give back), weggeven (to give away), meegeven (to give along or to add as a lesson), and overgeven (to hand over or to surrender). Separable prefixes move in structure, as in ik geef het terug (I give it back) or ik geef het weg (I give it away). The verb is frequent in passive constructions as well: er wordt gegeven (there is given), though active voice is far more common.

Geven in context. Beyond literal transfer, geven appears in figurative phrases like iemand hoop geven (to give someone hope) and ideeën geven (to provide ideas). It is a foundational verb for expressing transmission, support, and transfer in Dutch.