teruggeeft

Teruggeeft is not a standalone verb in standard Dutch; it is commonly understood as the present-tense form of the separable verb teruggeven, meaning to give back or return something. In normal sentences the verb is written as two words: hij geeft terug, zij geeft terug, met het object in between or after. The single string “teruggeeft” is not the standard orthography, though confusion can occur in headlines or informal writing.

Etymology and meaning: The word comes from terug (back, again) and geven (to give). Together they express the action of returning an item to its owner, rightful place, or previous state. The nuance is typically about restoration to the rightful owner or to a place of origin, rather than merely placing something somewhere again.

Usage and nuance: Teruggeven is used when an item is handed back to someone who should receive it—such as returning a borrowed object to its owner, or submitting something to an authority after review (for example, a graded assignment to a student, or a document to an office). It contrasts with terugbrengen, which more often specifies returning something to a location (for instance, returning a book to the library).

Conjugation and forms: The verb is separable; in present tense you say ik geef terug, jij geeft terug, hij geeft terug. The past tense is gaf terug, and the past participle is teruggegeven, used with haben in perfect tenses (heeft teruggegeven). Future forms use zullen teruggeven.

Related concepts: Terugbrengen denotes returning to a place; teruggeven focuses on returning to the owner or rightful recipient, and can be used metaphorically to describe returning information or status as well.