Lesgeeft

Lesgeeft is a Dutch term that literally combines les (lesson) and geeft (gives). It is not a standard verb form in contemporary Dutch. The ordinary way to express delivering instruction is the verb lesgeven, with present tense forms such as hij geeft les or de docent geeft les.

Etymology and form: The concept derives from the noun les and the verb geven (to give). When used as a verb phrase in standard Dutch, the action is conveyed by lesgeven or by conjugated forms of geven followed by the object les, as in geeft les. The concatenated form lesgeeft is not part of the normative conjugation and is generally not found in formal writing.

Usage and context: In normal writing and speech, you would say “De docent geeft les” or “De leraar geeft les in wiskunde.” The appearance of lesgeeft is typically limited to dialectal variation, historical texts, or typographical errors. In teaching and pedagogy discussions, the preferred term remains lesgeven, with attention to proper tense and word order.

Relation to teaching terms: Lesgeven is the broader, standard term for the act of delivering instruction. Related concepts include didactiek (didactics), pedagogiek (pedagogy), docent of leraar (teacher), and onderwijs (education). Understanding the standard form helps prevent nonstandard spellings in academic and professional Dutch.

See also: didactiek, pedagogiek, onderwijs, docent, les.