tussen

Tussen is a preposition in Dutch that expresses a relationship relative to two or more referents. It denotes a position or interval that lies between them, and it can be used for spatial, temporal, or figurative relations. In English, it is usually translated as between or among, depending on context.

In spatial use, tussen indicates the location of something relative to others. Examples include: Het café ligt tussen het station en de kerk (The café is between the station and the church). In temporal use, het refers to a time period, such as tussen drie en vier uur (between three and four o’clock). The phrase tussen de regels door (read between the lines) illustrates a figurative sense.

Tussen is also widely used in compounds and fixed expressions. Tussenpersoon means intermediary or middleman, while tussentijds describes something occurring in the meantime or interim. Other common phrases include tussen haakjes (in parentheses) and tussen de voorgaande en volgende stappen, indicating a position within a sequence or range. The expression tussen vuren zitten (to be between two fires) is used to describe being caught in a conflict or dilemma.

Etymology and cognates: tussen is of Germanic origin, cognate with German zwischen and English between. The word is a standard part of modern Dutch and is used in both the Netherlands and Flanders. It accommodates multiple closely related senses—spatial, temporal, and metaphorical—without requiring a change of form.

See also: Dutch prepositions, Dutch idioms with tussen, related cognates in Germanic languages.