vertolkt

Vertolkt is the past participle and the third-person singular present tense form of the Dutch verb vertolken. The core meaning is to render, portray, interpret, or express something, especially in a performative or interpretive sense. In everyday usage, it is most common in reference to actors portraying a role, singers interpreting a song, or a writer's or speaker's portrayal of a theme. The nuance is that vertolken emphasizes embodiment or faithful rendering rather than a literal translation.

Etymology and usage: The verb comes from ver- (a prefix indicating alteration or completion) and tolk (“interpreter”). The primary sense is to give voice to a character, to embody a narrative, or to express an idea through performance. It is commonly used with objects such as de rol (the role), het lied (the song), de boodschap (the message), or de visie (the vision). For example: Hij vertolkt de hoofdrol in het toneelstuk or Zij vertolkt het lied met veel gevoel. In non-fiction contexts, it can refer to articulating or presenting an interpretation of a concept or viewpoint: Het boek vertolkt een kritiek op...

The noun form is vertolking or de vertolking van, which means an interpretation or portrayal, and a person who performs is de vertolker of de vertolker van een rol. Related terms include interpreteren, uitbeelden, en verbeelden. The term is widely used in theater, film, muziek, and literary criticism, and in political or journalistic discourse to describe how a certain argument or emotion is conveyed.