debuten

Debuten is a term that appears in Dutch-language texts as a plural form related to the noun debut, meaning the first public appearances of people or works. The base noun is debuut, which denotes a first public appearance. In modern Dutch, the usual plural is debuts. The form debuten appears occasionally but is rarely used and is generally considered archaic, dialectal, or a nonstandard variant. The word is borrowed from the French débuts, a pattern shared by several languages that have adopted the concept of a first appearance.

In broader usage, debuts commonly occur in discussions of music, film, theater, sports, and publishing, where an artist’s or athlete’s first public performance is a notable milestone. Editors and writers typically prefer debuts in Dutch texts when referring to multiple first performances; debuten may appear only in historical or stylistic contexts.

Linguistically, the concept of a debut is widespread across languages. English uses debuts as the plural; German typically renders the plural as Debüts, with diacritical marks affecting pronunciation. The idea itself denotes a beginning or introduction to public life and often marks a career milestone, such as a musician’s recording debut, an actor’s first film debut, or a writer’s first published work.

See also Debut. See also Debut album and Debutante for related usages and cultural contexts.