xjarige

xjarige is a Dutch term used to express age in years. It functions as a compound adjective or, in some contexts, as a noun when referring to people or animals of a specific age. The construction combines a cardinal number with the suffix -jarige and is commonly placed before a noun, as in a tienjarige jongen (a ten-year-old boy) or een achtjarige leerling (an eight-year-old student).

Spelling and variants: when the number is written as words, the form is typically one word, for example tienjarige or achtjarige. If digits are used, the hyphenated form is common, such as 10-jarige or 8-jarige. Style guides may differ in preference, but both forms are found in contemporary Dutch texts.

Grammatical notes: xjarige behaves as a compound adjective and agrees with the noun it modifies in number. In the plural, it appears as tienjarige meisjes or tienjarige jongens. When used as a noun to denote the age group itself, it can appear as "tienjarigen" for the plural or "een tienjarige" for a singular referent, depending on sentence structure.

Usage and scope: the term is frequently used in education, media, demographics, and health contexts to categorize people or animals by age. It is also used in everyday language to describe individuals succinctly, for example in profiles or news reports. While precise age is given by the number, the expression remains neutral and descriptive, avoiding judgments about the person’s abilities or status.

See also: jaar oud, jarig, age group terminology in Dutch, age classifications in demographics.