cadeaugevers

Cadeaugevers are short verses written to accompany a gift. The term blends cadeau (gift) and vers (verse) in Dutch, and cadeaugevers is commonly used to refer to these brief inscriptions. The form is informal, not a standardized literary genre, and may appear in personal notes, gift tags, or engraved inscriptions.

In practice, cadeaugevers can be rhymed or prose, humorous or heartfelt. They are commonly tailored to the occasion—birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, or holidays—and to the recipient, often mentioning shared memories or well-wishes. They may be handwritten on a card or tag, printed in a gift booklet, or engraved on the object itself.

In contemporary culture, cadeaugevers are popular in both physical and digital gifts, including e-cards and social media posts where brief verses supplement a message. Collections of ready-made cadeaugevers appear in magazines and online, providing templates that can be adapted.

As a practice, cadeaugevers sit between casual inscription and poetry. They are typically shorter and more straightforward than a formal poem, though they can exhibit wordplay or rhyme, and they may overlap with traditional gedicht writings when extended.