beperkten

Beperkten is a Dutch verb form meaning to restrict or limit. It is the simple past tense (imperfect) form used with plural subjects, as in "Zij beperkten de uitgaven" or "De autoriteiten beperkten het verkeer." The infinitive is beperken; the past participle is beperkt, and the present tense forms vary by subject (ik beperk, jij beperkt, hij beperkt, wij beperken, jullie beperken, zij beperken). The past tense form beperkten is used when describing actions completed in the past by multiple agents.

Usage and meaning center on reducing the scope, extent, or freedom of something. Beperkten can refer to limits on money, rights, movement, or activities, and it appears in contexts from law and policy to everyday speech. The term can describe both temporary and longer-lasting restrictions and is common in journalism, administrative language, and narrative prose.

Etymology and register: beperken derives from the prefix be- plus perken, a root meaning to enclose or bound. The verb is well established in Dutch from the Middle Dutch period and remains common in modern usage. Beperken often carries a neutral, descriptive tone, but it can carry evaluative nuance depending on context (for example, discussing the severity or fairness of a limit).

Related terms include beperken (to limit), beperking (restriction), and beperkt (restricted or limited, as an adjective or past participle). In practice, beperkten is most readily understood as the past plural form of beperken and is widely used across formal and informal registers.