inzakken

Inzakken is a Dutch verb meaning to sink inwards or to subside. It can describe a physical movement, such as a ceiling, floor, or rock layer giving way, or a more abstract decline, such as prices, demand, or morale. The form is built from the verb zakken (to sink) with the prefix in-, which emphasizes inward movement. The past participle is ingezakt, as in Het plafond is ingezakt. The simple past can be expressed as zakte in, or in passive constructions as was ingezakt.

Inzakken is used in both literal and figurative contexts. Literally, it is common in civil engineering and geology to describe subsidence or collapse, for example when groundwater withdrawal or heavy loading causes the ground or a structure to sink. Figuratively, it appears in economic and everyday language to indicate a decrease or deterioration, such as prijzen zakken in (prices fall) or de markt is ingezakt (the market has collapsed).

Noun forms related to the concept include inzaking or inzakkingen, referring to the act of subsiding or the resulting subsidence. Related terms include zakken (to sink), instorten (to collapse), and dalen (to fall). The choice between inzakken and zakken depends on whether emphasis lies on inward movement or a general downward trend.

See also: subsidence, structural engineering, economics, Dutch verb prefixes.