scherpen

Scherpen is a Dutch verb meaning to make something sharp or more acute, typically by altering its edge. It is most commonly used for blades and cutting tools—such as knives, scissors, chisels, and razors—to describe the process of creating a finer, more durable edge. The action can involve various methods, including honing on a stone, grinding on an abrasive surface, or using a steel to realign and refresh the edge. In everyday language, people may say they need to sharpen a blade or tool.

Beyond tool edges, scherpen is also used metaphorically to indicate increasing precision or acuity in non-physical contexts. For example, one can talk about sharpening one's skills, focus, or arguments, meaning to refine and strengthen them. The verb therefore functions across literal and figurative domains in Dutch.

Relation to other terms: scherpen is closely related to slijpen, another Dutch verb for sharpening. While both can describe improving the edge of a blade, slijpen often emphasizes removal of material and honing, whereas scherpen can be the broader act of making something sharper and more effective. The word is built from the adjective scherp, sharp, with the usual -en infinitive suffix. The associated noun for quality is scherpte, or sharpness.