Toegegeven

Toegegeven is a Dutch word formed as the past participle of the verb toegeven, meaning to admit, concede, or acknowledge. It can function as a verb form in compound tenses, as an adjective meaning admitted or granted, or as a discourse marker introducing a concession.

As a verb form, toegeven appears in combinations with have (heb/ hebt/ heeft/ hebben) in perfect tenses: Ik heb het toegegeven (I have admitted it). In simple past, gaf toe is used: Hij gaf het toe (He admitted it). The participle toegegeven is also used as an attributive or predicative adjective: een toegegeven fout (an admitted error) or een toegegeven voordeel (an admitted advantage).

As a discourse marker, toegegeven, or the related adverbial use Toegegeven, is common in spoken Dutch to acknowledge a point before presenting further argument: “Toegegeven, het was duur, maar het werkte.” The phrase can stand alone at the start of a sentence for concessive emphasis.

Etymology and cognates: toegeven comes from the prefix toe- combined with geven (to give), conveying the sense of granting or admitting. It is cognate with the German zugeben, and shares its core meaning across closely related Dutch-Germanic languages.

Related terms include erkennen (to acknowledge), bekennen (to confess), and concessieve expressions such as hoewel or toch, which may accompany a conceded point. In usage, toegeven often signals a balancing of a claim: conceding a fact before advancing a counterpoint or justification.