verdedig

Verdedig is a form related to the Dutch verb verdedigen, which means to defend. In standard Dutch, verdedigen comes from the combination of the prefix ver- and defend eren, and is used in contexts ranging from sport and law to everyday speech. Verdedig itself is most commonly encountered as the imperative form used to command or urge someone to defend something or someone.

In terms of grammar, verdedigen is a regular verb. Its present tense forms include ik verdedig, jij verdedigt, wij verdedigen, and zij verdedigen. The past tense is verdedigde and the past participle is verdedigd. Verdedig appears as the stem of the verb and is specifically associated with the imperative mood, where the correct form in singular is Verdedig (often written with an initial capital letter at the start of a sentence). The lowercase form verdedig is sometimes seen in dictionaries to indicate the stem or in inflected grammars, but the usual imperative spelling is Verdedig.

Usage notes: verdedig is used to issue a command or strategic instruction, for example in sports coaching, courtroom arguments, or everyday advice, such as Verdedig je positie. It is closely tied to related terms such as verdediging (defense), verdedigen (to defend), and verdedigingslinie (defensive line).

See also: verdediging, verdedigen, verdedigingsstrategie.