Handige

Handige is a Dutch adjective form derived from handig, meaning handy, useful, or practical. It is used to describe things or people that are convenient to use or effective for a task. In everyday Dutch, handige commonly appears before a noun when the noun is definite or plural, as in de handige oplossing (the handy solution) or de handige gereedschappen (the handy tools). For indefinite singular nouns, the base form handig is often used, as in een handig hulpmiddel (a handy tool). The word is also used in predicative constructions: Het gereedschap is handig (The tool is handy).

The term is productive in Dutch and appears widely in product descriptions, manuals, DIY contexts, and advice writing. Common collocations include handige tips (useful tips) and handige gadgets.

Etymology: handige comes from handig, which itself derives from hand, with the adjectival suffix -ig that forms words describing a quality. It is cognate with English handy, though Dutch usage covers a broad sense of usefulness and practicality.

Inflection and grammar: Dutch adjectives are susceptible to inflection for definiteness and number. The -e ending in handige is typical in attributive position before definite noun phrases or plural nouns; the base form handig is often used in other positions, such as predicative phrases or indefinite contexts. The comparative is handiger, and the superlative is handigste.

See also: Dutch adjectives, Dutch grammar, Handy (English).