onderstaande

Onderstaande is a Dutch attributive adjective meaning “the following” or “below.” It is used to refer to items that are presented later in a document, list, or section, and is common in formal and administrative writing.

In practice, onderstaand(e) is placed directly before the noun it modifies to indicate that the referenced material appears further in the text. Examples include: De onderstaande tabel bevat de resultaten. Zie onderstaande gegevens voor de cliënt. Het onderstaande formulier dient te worden ingevuld. In many cases, especially in headings or formal notices, the phrase appears without an article: Onderstaande punten worden in hoofdstuk 3 besproken.

Grammatical notes are straightforward: onderstaand(e) is the standard form used before a noun in formal Dutch, and you will frequently see it in contracts, reports, minutes, and official emails. Because Dutch adjectives agree with the noun in number and gender, the form can appear in different contexts, but in contemporary usage the common word order is with the noun immediately following the adjective (for example, onderstaande tekst, onderstaande persoon).

Etymology and meaning: onder-, meaning “under” or “below,” and staan (to stand). The compound conveys “standing under/below” in the sense of “mentioned below” or “to be found subsequently.” English equivalents include “the following” or “as follows.”

See also: the related phrases for locating information in texts, such as “onder vermelding van” (under mention of) and other Dutch expressions used to reference material that appears later in a document.