Verkeerde

Verkeerde is the inflected form of the Dutch adjective verkeerd, meaning "wrong" or "incorrect." It functions as an attributive adjective, describing a noun directly and agreeing with the noun in gender and number. In Dutch, when the adjective appears with definite determiners or demonstratives, it typically ends with -e.

Typical usage

- After definite determiners: de verkeerde auto (the wrong car), het verkeerde idee (the wrong idea).

- In the plural: de verkeerde opties (the wrong options).

- With demonstratives: die verkeerde richting (that wrong direction), dat verkeerde antwoord (that wrong answer).

In other contexts the base form verkeerd is used, notably in predicative position or as an adverbial modifier: Dat is verkeerd. Hij heeft het verkeerd gedaan. Here, the adjective does not take the -e ending and does not directly precede a noun.

Semantic range and contrasts

Verkeerde is used for things considered incorrect, mistaken, or not the right one in a given context. It is closely related to synonyms such as onjuist, fout, and onterecht. Distinctions can be subtle: verkeerd often emphasizes incorrectness or the wrong choice, while onjuist or fout can carry different nuances depending on context.

Common phrases

- “de verkeerde tool” (the wrong tool)

- “het verkeerde moment” (the wrong moment)

- idiomatic constructions include phrases like “de verkeerde kant op” (the wrong direction) and similar compounds.

See also

- Verkeerd, the base form meaning wrong

- Fout, onjuist, synonyms related to incorrectness

- Dutch adjective inflection and agreement rules

Notes

Verkeerde is primarily an inflectional form used in attributive position after definite determiners; in other syntactic positions the uninflected form verkeerd is typically used.