Oefenende

Oefenende is the present participle of the Dutch verb oefenen, meaning to practice or to train. Used as an adjective, it describes someone or something that is currently practicing or undergoing training. The form is created by adding the suffix -ende to the verb stem (oefen-), yielding oefenende. In practice it commonly appears in attributive position before a noun, for example: een oefenende pianist, een oefenende student, or de oefenende sporter. It can also appear in descriptive passages to convey ongoing activity.

Grammatical notes: Dutch present participles in -ende are versatile and can function as adjectives, often giving a sense of ongoing or repeated action. The same idea can sometimes be conveyed with other constructions, but oefenende emphasizes continuous practice. The participle agrees in number and gender with the noun it modifies, e.g., de oefenende leerling (singular), de oefenende leerlingen (plural).

Comparison and usage: oefenende is typically preferred in formal or descriptive writing. The noun form for the action itself is oefening (practice), whereas oefenende specifically denotes the ongoing practice of the subject described. In everyday speech, speakers might instead use simpler constructions such as “die aan het oefenen is” or “die oefent,” depending on style and register.

See also: oefenen, oefening, present participle, -ende adjectives. Translations in English often render oefenende as “practicing” or “in training.”