onbezorgde

Onbezorgde is a Dutch attributive adjective meaning carefree or untroubled. It describes people, periods, or atmospheres that are characterized by a lack of worries or anxiety. The word is formed from bezorgd (worried) with the negating prefix on-, yielding “without worry.” In practice, onbezorgde is most commonly used before plural nouns or after definite determiners, for example: de onbezorgde reizigers, onbezorgde jeugd, de onbezorgde sfeer.

Grammar and inflection notes: Like other Dutch adjectives, onbezorgd takes an -e ending in certain contexts. The form onbezorgde appears before plural nouns (de onbezorgde reizigers, onbezorgde tijden) and after definite articles or possessives. In other contexts, the base form onbezorgd may appear, and usage with indefinite singular nouns can vary by region and register.

Usage and nuance: Onbezorgde is a positive descriptor often found in everyday speech, journalism, and literature. It can refer to a mood, a lifestyle, or an era perceived as lacking worry, as in “onbezorgde tijden” or “onbezorgde reizigers.” It is closely related to, but not always interchangeable with, zorgeloos; both convey a sense of absence of worry, while onbezorgd emphasizes the absence of worry as a state.

Translations: The closest English equivalents are carefree, untroubled, or relaxed. Context matters for nuance, since Dutch distinctions between onbezorgd and related terms can affect tone and emphasis.

See also: bezorgd, zorgeloos, zorg.