Ordentelijk

Ordentelijk is a Dutch adjective and adverb describing something that is proper, decent, respectable, or tidy. When applied to objects, it suggests orderliness and reliability; when applied to people or behavior, it implies adherence to social norms and expectations. As an adverb, it can appear in phrases like do it ordentelijk or werk ordentelijk, meaning to do something properly or in an orderly fashion.

Etymology and related forms: ordentelijk derives from the noun orde (order) with the suffix -telijk, yielding a sense of being in accord with order. It is cognate with German ordentlich and shares the same broad semantic field of order, propriety, and neatness. The negative form onordentelijk exists in Dutch to describe something or someone as disorderly or improper.

Usage and nuances: ordentelijk is versatile. It can describe behavior (ordentelijk gedrag), appearance (ordentelijk kleding), work or processes (ordentelijk uitgevoerd), or conditions (een ordentelijke maaltijd, a proper meal). In many contexts, it conveys a practical standard of adequacy rather than high elegance. In informal speech, it can carry a mild evaluative tone, sometimes implying that standards are reasonable but conventional.

Synonyms and contrasts: synonyms include fatsoenlijk, net, netjes, and verzorgd, depending on nuance. The antonym is onordentelijk (disorderly, improper) or less formal onfatsoenlijk (indecent).

See also: fatsoenlijkheid, netheid, orde.