infinitiefuitgang

Infinitiefuitgang, in Dutch grammar, refers to the suffix that marks the bare infinitive of a verb. In standard Dutch, the infinitive is formed by adding the ending -en to the verb stem, making -en the typical infinitiefuitgang. This is the base form used in dictionaries and as the form from which other conjugations are derived.

The vast majority of Dutch infinitives end in -en, as in lopen (to walk), werken (to work), lezen (to read), schrijven (to write). The -en ending is part of the historical development of the language and remains the canonical marker of the infinitive in contemporary Dutch.

In some cases the visible ending may appear as -eren or similar sequences when the stem itself ends with -er or another consonant combination, for example when the stem ends in -er and -en is added, producing a final -eren in the full infinitive. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism is the same: the verb form is the stem plus the -en ending, and the present infinitive form remains the neutral base of the verb.

The infinitive serves several syntactic roles. It functions as a non-finite form used after certain verbs, after adverbs of purpose, or in clauses introduced by om te to express purpose (om te lezen, om te lopen). It can also act as a noun, often capitalized when used as a nominal form (Het lezen is leuk).

Understanding the infinitiefuitgang is fundamental for Dutch verb conjugation, syntax, and orthography, and it parallels the role of infinitival endings in related West Germanic languages.