handelt

Handelt is the present tense form of the Dutch verb handelen, which means to act, to operate, or to trade. The sense of handelen depends on context: it can refer to taking action or performing activities, to conducting commercial transactions, or to dealing with a topic. For example, a dealer might say that someone handelt in antiques, meaning they trade in antiques. A book can be described as handel over a subject when it is about that topic, e.g., Het boek handelt over de Tweede Wereldoorlog.

Conjugation and usage: In the present tense, the forms are: ik handel, jij handelt, u handelt, hij handelt, zij handelt; wij handelen, jullie handelen, zij handelen. The verb is transitive in many uses (handel [to trade] something, or iets handelen), and it appears in phrases that specify the domain of activity, such as handel in goederen (trade in goods) or handelen in antiek. The past tense is handelde/handelden, and the past participle is gehandeld.

Etymology and related forms: Handelen comes from Middle Dutch handelen and is cognate with the German handeln. The root is linked to the idea of dealing, performing acts, or conducting business. Related nouns include handel (trade), handelaar (merchant), and handelsrelatie (business relationship).

Usage notes: Handelen is common in business contexts to describe trading activities, and in literary or journalistic contexts to indicate what a text or film is about. In compounds, it yields terms such as handelaar, handelspartner, and handelswaar. The nuance between “to act” and “to trade” depends on the noun or preposition used with the verb.