behendige

Behendige is a Dutch adjective meaning skilled, adept, dexterous, or handy, especially in reference to manual tasks. It describes someone who performs with skill and deftness with their hands, or an action that is performed with ease and precision. The term is commonly used for craftsmen, athletes, or animals able to execute movements deftly.

Etymology and related terms: The word derives from behendig, with the suffix -e used in attributive position in definite contexts; related nouns are behendigheid (dexterity) and handigheid (skill with the hands). It shares semantic ground with handigheid and with the more general adjectives handig (handy) and vaardig (skilled).

Usage and inflection: When placed before a noun, behendige takes the appropriate inflection according to Dutch grammar. In phrases with definite determiners, you will typically see de forms such as de behendige schilder. The comparative form is behendiger and the superlative behendigst. The adverbial form is behendig.

Nuance and register: The nuance differs from handig; behendig emphasizes skill and nimbleness in performing tasks, while handig is broader and more about convenience or usefulness. In modern Dutch, behendig is common in formal or literary registers, though both can appear in everyday speech depending on emphasis.

See also: handigheid, behendigheid, handvaardigheid, vaardigheid, handig.