gepakte

Gepakte is a Dutch adjective formed from the verb pakken, which can mean to pack, to seize, or to grab. In standard use, gepakte describes something that has been packed or seized, or it can refer to a person who has been captured or arrested, depending on the context.

Etymology and form: The word uses the ge- prefix to form the past participle gepakt. When used attributively before a definite noun, Dutch adjectives of this type typically take an -e ending, yielding gepakte. Examples include de gepakte doos (the packed box) and de gepakte verdachte (the captured suspect). In predicative position, the past participle is not inflected similarly, and you would say het is gepakt or de verdachte is gepakt to indicate that someone has been captured or arrested.

Usage notes: The sense of gepakte is determined by context. In packaging or logistics, it conveys that an item has been packed and prepared. In law enforcement or crime reporting, gepakt or gepakte can indicate that someone has been caught or arrested, with gepakte used when the noun it modifies is definite and the attribution is present, e.g., de gepakte verdachte. The term is typically found in everyday Dutch and is not a specialized technical term.

See also: pakken, ingepakt (wrapped), gepakt (past participle in other contexts), arrestatie (arrest), Dutch past participles and adjective inflection.