dobberen

Dobberen is a Dutch verb that means to bob or float on the surface of water. It describes the up-and-down motion of a boat, raft, buoy, or any floating object as it rides on waves or a current, rather than moving forward.

The term derives from the Dutch noun dobber, meaning a float or bobber. In standard Dutch, dobberen is intransitive and describes the motion of the subject itself; the infinitive form is used in dictionaries, and related nouns include dobber.

Usage is common in nautical, fishing, and coastal contexts in the Netherlands and Flemish-speaking regions. The expression can describe literal motion and, in literary Dutch, can be used metaphorically to convey wavering or tentative status.

Related terms include dobber (float) and other Germanic cognates that describe floating or bobbing motions.