vliegen

Vliegen is a Dutch word with two main meanings. It can be used as a verb meaning to fly, and it can denote the plural noun for the insect commonly called a fly. Context in speech or writing distinguishes the sense, since the spelling is identical for both.

As a verb, vliegen describes the act of moving through the air, by birds, aircraft, insects, or artificial devices. It is conjugated as ik vlieg, jij vliegt, hij vliegt in the present tense; the past tense is vloog (we vlogen), and the past participle gevlogen. It is used in expressions such as een vliegtuig kan vliegen or ik vlieg naar Amsterdam.

Vliegen, the plural of vlieg, refers to the insects in the order Diptera. Flies are typically small to medium-sized, with a single pair of wings and halteres. Common species include the house fly (Musca domestica) and the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). They undergo complete metamorphosis: egg, larva (maggot), pupa, and adult. Flies are found worldwide and occupy diverse habitats. Ecologically, they help decompose organic matter and serve as food for other animals, but some species spread diseases and are agricultural pests. Fruit flies, in particular, have been important model organisms in genetics and developmental biology.

In Dutch, the two senses are distinct by meaning but share the same form; the intended sense is typically clear from context, and in written text, accompanying words (such as vliegen als werkwoord versus vliegen als insecten) remove ambiguity.