nemen

Nemen is a Dutch verb meaning to take, seize, or accept. It is used for physical actions (taking a object, taking a bus), but also for more abstract senses such as taking a decision, taking a medicine, or taking an opportunity. The word appears in many common phrases and in a wide range of composite verbs.

Etymology and forms: Nemen comes from Proto-Germanic, with cognates in other Germanic languages such as German nehmen and English to take. In Dutch, the infinitive is nemen, with a highly irregular conjugation. The forms include ik neem, jij neemt, hij/zij/u neemt, wij nemen, jullie nemen, zij nemen. Past tense forms are ik nam, jij nam, hij nam, wij namen, jullie namen, zij namen. The past participle is genomen and the present participle is nemend.

Conjugation and usage: Nemen is irregular and appears in many tenses and moods. Present: ik neem, jij neemt, hij neemt; past: ik nam, jij nam, hij nam; perfect: ik heb genomen. The verb combines with prefixes to form a variety of meanings, such as meegnemen (to take along), opnemen (to record or to admit), innemen (to take a medicine or to occupy), and aannemen (to assume or to hire). Typical sentences include: Ik neem de trein. (I take the train.) Ik neem het boek mee. (I take the book with me.) Ik neem elke ochtend medicijnen in. (I take medicine every morning.)

Noun forms and related terms: The act of taking can be expressed as het nemen. In many contexts, special nouns exist, such as opname, which can mean recording or intake, depending on the sense. The verb remains central in Dutch everyday speech, underpinning a large set of common expressions and compounds.