kernwerkwoord

Kernwerkwoord is a term in Dutch grammar for the main lexical verb in a clause. It denotes the action, event, or state described by the sentence and carries the principal semantic content, as opposed to auxiliary or modal verbs that help express tense, aspect, voice, or mood.

In typical Dutch sentences, the kernwerkwoord forms the core of the verbal predicate together with any hulpwerkwoorden (auxiliary verbs) or modale werkwoorden (modal verbs). The kernwerkwoord itself can appear in finite form in simple tenses, or in non-finite forms such as the infinitive, past participle, or present participle when auxiliary verbs are used to build compound tenses or passive voice. The finite conjugation of the verb in periphrastic constructions is often carried by the auxiliary, while the kernwerkwoord supplies the lexical meaning.

Examples illustrate the distinction between kernwerkwoord and auxiliaries:

- Ik loopt naar school. Here loopt is the finite kernwerkwoord in present tense.

- Hij heeft gelopen. Gelopen is the past participle of lopen, part of a periphrastic perfect with the auxiliary hebben; het kernwerkwoord levert de lexical meaning.

- Zij kan lezen. Lezen is the kernwerkwoord; kunnen acts as a modal auxiliary.

Kernwerkwoord is sometimes contrasted with hulpwerkwoord (auxiliary verb) and is central to the concept of the verbal predicate (werkwoordelijk gezegde). It remains a fundamental notion in Dutch syntax for analyzing sentence structure, agreement, and the distribution of lexical versus grammatical information.