Proeft

Proeft is the third-person singular present tense form of the Dutch verb proeven, which means to taste or to try out. In Dutch, proeven covers both tasting food or drink and trying or testing something to determine its quality, flavor, or suitability. The form proeft is used with a singular subject (for example, hij proeft, zij proeft, het proeft).

Usage examples include tasting in cooking or dining, such as a cook checking seasoning, or someone evaluating a product by sampling it. For instance, hij proeft de soep (he tastes the soup) or de wijn proeft goed (the wine tastes good). The verb can also express trying out something to judge its quality or usefulness, as in we proeven verschillende variëteiten (we try out several varieties).

Etymology and related terms: proeft derives from the noun proef, meaning a sample, test, or proof. The verb proeven is the infinitive form meaning to taste or to test, and it is related to other Germanic-derived terms for testing or proving. Dutch also uses proef in phrases describing experiments, trials, or demonstrations, and geproefd (past participle) is used in perfect tenses.

Conjugation notes: present tense forms include ik proef, jij proeft, hij/zij proeft, wij proeven, jullie proeven, zij proeven. The simple past is proefde (or proefde) and the past participle is geproefd. Proeft specifically marks the third-person singular present action.