Vlijtige

Vlijtige is a Dutch adjective meaning diligent, industrious, or hardworking. It describes someone who applies themselves with consistent effort, focus, and care in work or study. The form is used before a noun to express quality, as in een vlijtige student or de vlijtige medewerker. In predicative use, it can appear as hij is vlijtig.

Etymology and related forms: The word derives from vlijt, meaning diligence or industry, with the suffix -ig forming an adjective. The base form is vlijtig; vlijtige is the inflected attributive form used before nouns. The noun vlijt denotes the quality of being industrious. A closely related Dutch term is ijverig, which has a similar meaning and usage.

Usage notes: Vlijtig is common in neutral and formal registers, often used to praise or describe people who work hard, such as students, employees, or researchers. It is interchangeable with synonyms like ijverig in many contexts, though there can be slight nuances; vlijtig emphasizes steady, long-term effort, while ijverig can stress eagerness and zeal. Antonyms include lui (lazy) and ongeïnteresseerd (careless). The adjective inflects with -e in attributive position before nouns, for example: een vlijtige leerling, de vlijtige collega, de vlijtige onderneming.

Cultural context: Diligence is a valued trait in Dutch-speaking cultures, and vlijtige is a common descriptor in education, employment, and personal characterization. The term appears in everyday speech as well as in writing to acknowledge committed effort.