tennissen

Tennissen is the Dutch verb meaning to play tennis. It is formed from the noun tennis with the infinitive suffix -en and is used to describe participating in tennis activities, from casual matches to organized competition. In Dutch-speaking regions, people commonly use tennissen to refer to the act of playing tennis, and it is often paired with other verbs to indicate when or how the activity takes place, such as going to play tennis.

The sport itself is a racquet sport played on a rectangular court divided by a net, with matches conducted between two players (singles) or two teams of two (doubles). The Dutch vocabulary distinguishes the activity (tennissen) from the sport (tennis), though both terms are widely understood and frequently appear in everyday language.

Usage notes: tennissen is typically informal in tone. In more formal or neutral contexts, speakers may prefer tennis spelen or simply tennis to denote the activity. The word is used across the Netherlands and in Dutch-speaking parts of Belgium and reflects the integration of English-derived sport terms into Dutch. It is common in media, club communications, and recreational settings, illustrating how language adapts to popular sports culture.