durfde

Durfde is the past tense form of the Dutch verb durven, meaning to dare. It is used with a singular subject to describe a past act of courage or willingness, as in Ik durfde het niet te zeggen. The word functions as a finite verb in simple past tense and often appears in narrative or reported speech.

Conjugation and forms: The base verb is durven. In the simple past, the forms are ik durfde, jij durfde, hij/zij/het durfde; wij durfden, jullie durfden, zij durfden. The past participle is gedurfd, which is used with have to form perfect tenses, for example Ik heb gedurfd. In the present tense, the forms are ik durf, jij durft, hij durft; wij durven, jullie durven, zij durven.

Usage and nuance: Durven expresses courage, risk-taking, or willingness to undertake a task. It appears in expressions such as Dat durf ik wel (I’m sure I can do that) or Ze durft het niet (She doesn’t dare). It can convey hesitation or resolve depending on context, and it is common in everyday language across the Dutch-speaking regions of the Netherlands and Flanders. In narratives, durven can be used in indirect speech or to describe past actions, as in Hij zei dat hij het nog steeds durfde (He said that he still dared to do it).

Etymology and related forms: Durven is a standard Dutch verb of Germanic origin, with cognates in related West Germanic languages. The past tense form durfde is the singular past; durfden is the plural past. See also: durven; to dare.