grasig

Grasig is an adjective used in Dutch to describe a greasy or oily quality. It can refer to foods that leave a fatty film on the tongue, or to surfaces that feel slick with fat or oil. In everyday usage, grasig conveys a greasy impression, though the exact nuance depends on context and intonation.

The form derives from gras, meaning grass, with the suffix -ig. In its less common sense, grasig can also mean grassy or grass-like, but this sense is rare in modern Dutch. For grassy landscapes or plant matter, speakers typically use more precise terms such as grasachtig or grasrijk.

In practice, many Dutch speakers prefer vet or olieachtig when describing grease or oiliness. Grasig tends to be used when the emphasis is on a greasy texture rather than color or growth, and it can sound somewhat colloquial or regionally marked in certain contexts. In descriptive writing, grasig for food is acceptable but not always the most precise choice.

Cross-linguistically, grasig can cause confusion for learners. In Dutch, it primarily means greasy; in related Germanic languages, cognates or similar forms may carry different meanings (for example, the German equivalent often translates roughly as grassy). When translating, it is important to consider the specific sense—greasy or grassy—appropriate to the context.