uitlegt

Uitlegt is the third-person singular present tense form of the Dutch verb uitleggen, meaning to explain. In standard Dutch, however, the verb is separable and the present tense is formed as two words: legt uit. For example, hij legt uit hoe het werkt means “he explains how it works.” Because of the separable prefix uit-, the correct present-tense constructions are: ik leg uit, jij legt uit, hij legt uit, wij leggen uit, jullie leggen uit, zij leggen uit.

The form uitlegt as a single word is not the usual or widely accepted spelling in standard Dutch. It may appear in headlines, typographical shortcuts, or as a mistaken simplification, but the normative written form for the present tense is two words: legt uit. The infinitive is uitleggen, and the noun related to the concept is uitleg (an explanation).

Other tenses follow the regular patterns of uitleggen: past tense is legde uit (or legde uit in spoken language), and the past participle is uitgelegd. The present tense examples illustrate typical usage: “De docent legt uit wat de toets inhoudt,” meaning “The teacher explains what the test contains.” The verb is commonly used in instructional, journalistic, and explanatory contexts where clarity about a process or reason is required.

See also: uitleg, uitleggen, uitlegger.