onder

Onder is a common Dutch preposition and adverb meaning under, beneath, or below, used for both spatial and figurative purposes. It can indicate physical position, as in onder de tafel (under the table), or denote belonging to a subset within a group, as in onder de aanwezigen (among those present) or onder de vijftig (under fifty). In addition to location, onder appears in phrases that describe states or conditions, such as onder druk staan (to be under pressure), onder de indruk zijn (to be impressed), or onder de hoede van (under the care of).

The word has a long history in Dutch. It is descended from Old Dutch onder and is related to the English word under. Today it is widely used in both everyday speech and writing, and it figures in many fixed expressions, including onder andere, which means among other things.

In usage, onder often contrasts with boven (above) and can help express a range of relations from concrete spatial positioning to abstract standings within a group. It is found in formal, informal, and regional varieties of Dutch, including both the Netherlands and Flanders, with meanings that are generally consistent across dialects. Its flexibility makes it a foundational element of basic vocabulary as well as a component in numerous idiomatic constructions.