klimmen

Klimmen is a Dutch verb meaning to climb, to ascend by using the hands and feet, or to rise in height or level. The term is used for physical climbing as well as metaphorical increases, such as temperatures or rankings.

Origin and usage: The word is of Germanic origin and is related to similar verbs in neighboring languages. It appears in many compounds, such as sportklimmen (sport climbing) and klimmen in mountaineering contexts.

Conjugation: In present tense: ik klim, jij klimt, hij klimt, wij klimmen, jullie klimmen, zij klimmen. The simple past tense is ik klom, jij klom, hij klom, wij klommen, jullie klommen, zij klommen. The past participle is geklommen. In compound tenses the auxiliary is typically hebben or zijn depending on context, with beweging or change of location often taking zijn.

Usage in sport: In climbing sports, klimmen covers disciplines like sportklimmen and alpinisme; equipment includes ropes, harnesses, climbing shoes, and helmets; indoor climbing gyms are common.

Metaphorical usage: Klimmen is used to describe rising figures or values, for example "de temperatuur klimt" or "de aandelenkoers klimt." The term can appear in both literal and figurative contexts.

Note: Klimmen (capitalized) is also the name of a place in the Netherlands.