plegen

Ple­gen is a Dutch verb meaning to commit or to perpetrate an action. It is typically used to describe the carrying out of an act, most often a wrongdoing such as a crime, but it can also refer to performing a deliberate action or undertaking something in a formal context.

Common constructions include expressions like een misdaad plegen (to commit a crime), een fout plegen (to make a mistake), or een daad plegen (to commit an act). In neutral or legal contexts, ple­gen is preferred over more casual verbs when the emphasis is on the act of carrying something out. In everyday speech, speakers may use synonyms such as doen or uitvoeren to describe performing actions without the moral or legal nuance.

Conjugation and grammar: ple­gen is conjugated as een regular (weak) Dutch verb in many forms, with the present tense ik pleeg, jij pleegt, hij/zij/het pleegt, wij plegen, jullie plegen, zij plegen. The past tense is pleegde (ik pleegde, jij pleegde, hij pleegde) and the plural past forms pleegden. The past participle is gepleegd and it forms with hebben (ik heb gepleegd, zij hebben gepleegd). The present and past forms show a slight stem variation in the second and third person singular.

Etymology and register: the word is of West Germanic origin and historically denotes the act of performing or carrying out an action. In modern Dutch it carries a formal or legal tone and is less common in casual speech for everyday actions, where simpler verbs are typical. See also Dutch verbs, crime vocabulary, and legal terminology.