doorkruisen

Doorkruisen is a Dutch verb with two principal meanings. In the literal sense it means to cross through or traverse a place, such as a region or route. In the figurative sense it means to thwart or derail someone’s plans or efforts by introducing obstacles or competing interests.

The word is formed from door, meaning through, and kruisen, meaning to cross. The literal sense of crossing through a space is extended metaphorically to refer to disrupting plans or arrangements, as if one cuts across a path that others rely on.

Doorkruisen is a separable prefix verb. In standard sentences, the prefix door can appear as a separate element from the verb, depending on word order and tense. This yields constructions that can place the emphasis either on the crossing itself or on the action of crossing through.

Two common usages illustrate the sense. De ontdekkingsreiziger doorkruiste het Amazonegebied. This shows the physical traversal of a large area. Zijn plannen werden doorkruist door een onverwachte gebeurtenis. This demonstrates the figurative sense, where an unforeseen event interrupts or frustrates plans.

The noun form doorkruising refers to the act of crossing or the result of a traversal, for example in geographic or strategic contexts. Doorkruisen is widely understood in both historical and contemporary Dutch, and it is used in fields ranging from travel writing to planning and politics.