geval

Geval is a Dutch noun meaning "case," "instance," or "occurrence." It is used to refer to a particular example or situation, and in medical or epidemiological contexts it denotes a single patient with a disease, as in "een geval van griep" (a case of influenza). In general language it can refer to any concrete event or circumstance.

The plural form isgevallen. The word appears in a variety of phrases, such as "in het geval van" or "in geval van," meaning "in case of" or "in the event that," and the idiom "onder geen enkel geval" meaning "under no circumstances." In journalism, statistics, law, and everyday speech, geval is commonly used when counting or discussing occurrences, as in "het aantal gevallen" (the number of cases).

Geval is widely used in Dutch-speaking regions and has a direct equivalent in English (case, instance, occurrence) and a parallel usage in Afrikaans with similar meaning. While it can be interchangeable with other terms like zaak in some contexts, geval emphasizes a particular instance within a broader category or discussion. The word is a standard part of everyday Dutch vocabulary and tends to appear in formal writing as well as informal conversation.