vrolijke

Vrolijke is the Dutch adjective vrolijk in its attributive form used before plural nouns and before definite singular nouns. It means cheerful, merry, or joyful and is commonly used to describe people, animals, or things that convey happiness or a light-hearted mood. The base form vrolijk is used in predicative constructions after linking verbs, as in De man is vrolijk.

In Dutch, adjectives are generally declined for number and definiteness. The form vrolijke is standard before plural nouns (de vrolijke kinderen) and before definite singular nouns (de vrolijke man). In many indefinite singular contexts, the attributive form tends to be vrolijk rather than vrolijke, and the predicative form remains vrolijk after verbs like zijn or worden (De persoon is vrolijk; De situatie werd vrolijk).

Etymologically, vrolijk is of Germanic origin and is cognate with the German word fröhlich, both conveying a sense of happiness or merriment. The Dutch term shares roots with related words in other Germanic languages that describe a cheerful or uplifted mood. In modern usage, vrolijk functions as a neutral to positive descriptor and appears in everyday speech, writing, and common expressions such as vrolijke muziek (cheerful music) or een vrolijk gezelschap (a cheerful company).

Translations and related terms include blij (happy), opgewekt (cheerful), and vrolijkheid (cheerfulness). The word is widely used in both informal conversation and formal writing to convey a positive emotional tone without implying strong or extraordinary emotion.