Stukken

Stukken is the plural form of the Dutch noun stuk, which denotes a piece, part, or unit of something. The sense is broad and can apply to tangible objects, portions, or units in a collection. For example, een stuk kaas means a piece of cheese, while drie stukken brood refers to three pieces of bread. The word also appears in phrases that indicate a portion or segment of a larger whole, such as een stuk taart or een stuk vloer.

Stuk is also used to describe works and creations. In culture, toneelstuk refers to a play, while muziekstuk denotes a musical composition or piece. In writing and journalism, een stuk can mean an article, column, or essay. In everyday speech, people may say “ik wil een stuk” to request a portion of food, or “een stuk minder” to indicate a reduced amount. The form is flexible in compounds; for instance, toneelstukken is the plural for plays and muziekstukken for musical pieces.

In idiomatic use, stuk appears in expressions such as stuk voor stuk (one by one) or in phrases about breaking something into pieces (in stukken verdelen). The word is widely used across contexts, from cooking and shopping to arts, literature, and music. Etymologically, stuk comes from Old Dutch and is cognate with the German Stück and related Germanic terms, reflecting the shared Germanic origin of many words for “piece” or “part.”

Stukken thus functions as a versatile term in Dutch, with meanings tied to portions, items, and artistic or written works, and it adapts to different contexts through compound forms.