brandend

Brandend is a Dutch adjective formed from the verb branden (to burn) with the suffix -end. It is used to describe something that is literally on fire as well as things that are figuratively intense or ardent. As a present participle-based adjective, brandend can modify a noun or appear predicatively in sentences.

In literal use, brandend describes objects or scenes affected by fire, for example brandend vuur (burning fire) or brandend gebouw (burning building). In figurative use, it conveys strong intensity or passion, such as brandende belangstelling (ardent interest), brandende debat (heated debate), or brandende ambitie (fervent ambition). The term is common in both journalism and literature when emphasis or immediacy is intended.

Grammatically, brandend behaves as a regular Dutch adjective. It typically precedes a noun in attributive position, though it can also function predicatively (“Het gebouw is brandend”). The form can interact with definite or plural nouns through standard adjective agreement, with contractions or inflections following general Dutch rules.

Etymologically, brandend stems from the noun brand (fire) plus the participial suffix -end, a productive pattern in Dutch for creating adjectives that express ongoing or resultant states from a verb. The term belongs to a broader set of -end adjectives that describe conditions arising from actions such as burning, heating, or intensifying.

See also: brand, branden, vurig, hevig, heated or intense terminology in Dutch.