Lacht

Lacht is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Dutch verb lachen, meaning to laugh. It is used to describe that someone laughs in the current moment. In the present tense, the full conjugation is: ik lach, jij lacht, hij/zij/het lacht, wij lachen, jullie lachen, zij lachen. The form lacht specifically marks third person singular, as in hij lacht or zij lacht.

Usage does not differ in meaning from the infinitive lachen; it simply reflects subject agreement in the present tense. Lachen denotes laughter as a reaction to humor, a social expression, or an indication of amusement, and it is common in everyday speech and writing. Example: Zij lacht om de grap (She laughs at the joke).

Past tense and participle forms are regular by Dutch standards. The simple past is lachte (ik lachte, jij lachte, hij lachte; wij lachten, jullie lachten, zij lachten). The past participle is gelachen, used with have/hebben in perfect constructions, as in Ze heeft gelachen (She has laughed).

Etymology: lachen is cognate with the German lachen and the English laugh, all tracing back to a common West Germanic root related to laughter. The forms differ across these languages but share a recognizable core meaning.

See also: lachen (the infinitive), lacht (present tense elsewhere), gelachen (past participle).