opkomen

Opkomen is a Dutch verb with several related meanings tied to movement upward or emergence. It is used to describe something that rises or appears, such as the sun rising in the morning (de zon komt op), tides, or trends. It can also refer to problems or news that arise or come to light (een probleem komt op; er komt nieuws op). In addition, opkomen appears in phrases about advocacy, as in someone standing up for another (iemand komt op voor iemand).

Grammatically, opkomen is a separable verb formed from the prefix op- and the verb komen. In the present tense it typically appears as ik kom op, jij komt op, hij komt op, with the prefix positioned before the main verb and separated in main clauses: De zon komt op. The simple past is kwam op; the past participle is opgekomen, and it uses the auxiliary zijn in perfect tense: De zon is opgekomen. In compound sentences with other elements, the separation of op remains possible, as in zo komt er een probleem op.

Common usages include describing the sun rising, events or issues that arise, and phrases with advocacy or emergence. Notable expressions include opkomen voor (to stand up for, to advocate for) and opkomen tegen (to rise up against). The term can also appear with directional or spatial nuances, such as opstijgen or verschijnen, depending on context, but opkomen emphasizes emergence or upward motion rather than a fixed position.

Etymology and scope: opkommen is built from op- (up, onto) and komen (to come). It is widely used in both the Netherlands and Flanders, and it has a related noun form opkomst, meaning emergence or turnout, that reflects the same family of meanings.