gewone

Gewone is the inflected form of the Dutch adjective gewoon, meaning ordinary, usual, or typical. It is used before a noun to describe something that lacks special features or stands as part of everyday, standard conditions. Common examples include de gewone man (the ordinary man), de gewone omstandigheden (the ordinary circumstances), and het gewone huis (the ordinary house). The word often signals contrast with what is extraordinary or remarkable, as in ongewoon or bijzonder.

Grammar and inflection: In attributive use before a definite or indefinite noun, gewone typically takes the -e ending, for example: de gewone mens, een gewone dag, de gewone dingen. In predicative position after a linking verb like zijn, the base form often appears as gewoon (for example: De man is gewoon; Het is gewoon waar).

Usage and meaning: Gewone conveys a sense of normality, typicality, or everydayness. It can function as a straightforward synonym of normaal or standaard in many contexts, though nuances may differ by speaker. It is also used in phrases such as gewoonlijk (usually/ordinarily) to describe frequency or customary behavior.

Related terms: Ongewoon means unusual or extraordinary, a direct opposite in many contexts. Gewoonlijk means usually or normally and is closely related in meaning to gewoon. Normaal and standaard are nearby synonyms that can be used in similar contexts, though they carry their own connotations.

Etymology: The Dutch adjective जिम्म stems from Old Dutch gewone/gewone, with roots linked to the sense of habit or customary behavior. It is cognate with German gewöhnlich and related forms in other Germanic languages, reflecting a shared lineage for “usual” or “ordinary.”

See also: ongewoon, gewoonlijk, normaal, standaard.