dikke

Dikke is the inflected form of the Dutch adjective dik, meaning thick, fat, or dense. It is used primarily as an attributive adjective before a noun to indicate size, volume, or bulk. Examples include de dikke man (the fat man), het dikke boek (the thick book), and de dikke muur (the thick wall). When the adjective is used predicatively after linking verbs such as zijn, blijven, or worden, the bare form dik is used: De man is dik; De muur is dik.

Grammatical notes: In standard Dutch, adjectives in attributive position often take an -e ending in front of definite determiners. Accordingly, before de/het in singular form, dik becomes dikke: de dikke man, het dikke huis. In plural, the form is de dikke mannen, de dikke huizen. The comparative and superlative forms are dikke? No—dik is the positive form, with comparative dikker and superlative dikste (for example, Deze auto is dikker dan die; Dit is de dikste kamer).

Usage and nuance: The core meaning relates to physical thickness or bulk, but dikke can also describe objects with substantial density or volume, such as een dikke laag sneeuw (a thick layer of snow). When referring to people, dik can imply overweight; this sense can be sensitive and context-dependent, so tone and intent matter in communication. In informal language and dialects, dikke may appear as an intensifier in certain expressions, with regional variation in acceptability.

See also: dik, dikker, dikste. The term is primarily a descriptive adjective in standard Dutch and interacts with normal Dutch grammar for attributive and predicative positions.