elkaar

Elkaar is a Dutch reciprocal pronoun used to express actions or relations between two or more participants. It signals reciprocity, meaning that the objects or actions involve all parties in the clause. In English, it corresponds to “each other” or “one another.” Elkaar replaces repeating both subjects and objects when the action is mutual.

In normal clauses, elkaar is used with verbs to indicate mutual action. It is invariable, meaning it does not change for gender or number. Typical sentences include: Zij helpen elkaar. Wij ontmoeten elkaar op het station. Ze leren elkaar kennen. These examples show how elkaar marks reciprocity without requiring a reformulation of the sentence for different participants.

Elkaar is often combined with a preposition to specify the nature of the interaction. Common combinations are met elkaar (together with each other), voor elkaar (for one another), and tegen elkaar (against each other). Examples: Ze spreken met elkaar over de oplossing. Ze staan voor elkaar klaar. De debaters praatten tegen elkaar.

Elkaar contrasts with zich, the reflexive pronoun used when a single subject acts on itself. For example, Zij wassen zich (they wash themselves) indicates self-directed action, whereas Zij wassen elkaar (they wash each other) indicates a mutual action between the participants.

Overall, elkaar is a concise marker of reciprocity in Dutch, versatile across tenses and sentence structures, and a key element for expressing mutual relationships in everyday language.