Vaardige

Vaardige is the inflected form of the Dutch adjective vaardig, which means skilled, proficient, or capable. The word is encountered in standard Dutch primarily in older or more formal registers, and it is less common in everyday contemporary usage where vaardig is the usual form.

Usage and grammar

In modern Dutch, vaardig is the preferred adjective meaning skilled. The form vaardige appears mainly in contexts where the adjective is inflected after a definite determiner (for example, de vaardige vakman, the skilled craftsman) or in older texts and certain formal styles. After an indefinite article or in more neutral, everyday writing, speakers typically use the base form without the -e, or simply use vaardig where appropriate. The distinction between forms is a feature of Dutch adjective inflection rather than a separate semantic meaning.

Etymology and related terms

Vaardig derives from the native Dutch root related to craft and ability, with -ig forming adjectives that denote possessing a quality. It is cognate with related Germanic forms such as German fähig, both expressing capability or skill. The related noun vaardigheid denotes the state or quality of being skilled.

See also

Vaardigheid (skill), bekwaamheid (competence), capable and proficient as general equivalents.