Weggeven

Weggeven is a Dutch verb meaning to give away or relinquish something by transferring it to someone else, usually without receiving payment. It is commonly used for tangible items such as clothes, books, or furniture, but can also refer to giving up opportunities or privileges. In everyday language it conveys the idea of letting go of possessions rather than selling them. The term is also used in contexts like promotions or giveaways, where a person or organization explicitly gives items away for free.

The word combines weg (away) with geven (to give) and is a separable prefix verb. In present tense you say, for example, ik geef het weg or zij geeft het weg. In past tense the form is gaf weg, and in the perfect tense the past participle is wegge-geven, producing bijvoorbeeld: ik heb het weggegegeven. When using pronouns, the particle weg can be placed before the object, as in ik geef het weg, but with a pronoun it remains clear in Dutch word order.

Common synonyms and related terms include afstaan (to relinquish or give up, often permanently), doneren (to donate), and wegdoen (to discard). While weggeven is primarily about transferring ownership for free, doneren emphasizes charitable giving, and afstaan focuses on relinquishing rights or possession more broadly.

In summary, weggeven denotes voluntarily giving away possessions or opportunities, often without compensation, and is a versatile verb in both everyday and promotional language.