treft

Treft is the present-tense, third-person singular form of the Dutch verb treffen. The verb has several primary senses: to hit or strike something; to meet or encounter someone; and to affect or befall something or someone. As a transitive verb, it typically requires a direct object in its physical, interpersonal, or figurative uses.

Conjugation of treff includes: present tense—ik tref, jij treft, hij/zij/het treft, wij treffen, jullie treffen, zij treffen. Simple past—ik trof, jij trof, hij trof, wij troffen, jullie troffen, zij troffen. Past participle—getroffen. The auxiliary used in compound tenses is hebben.

Usage notes: The sense to hit is used for physical contact or impact, as in De pijl treft het doel (the arrow hits the target). The sense to meet or encounter is used for meeting people, as in Ik tref hem op het station (I meet him at the station). In a broader or figurative sense, treft can mean that something has affected or befallen someone or something, as in De crisis heeft velen getroffen (The crisis has affected many).

Etymology and related forms: Treft is of Germanic origin and is cognate with the German treffen. Related Dutch forms include troffen (simple past) and getroffen (past participle). The verb Troffen and Treffen in German share the same roots and similar meanings.

See also: German treffen.