vrijen
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutch vrien, from Old Dutch *frīon, from Proto-West Germanic *frijōn (“to love”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈvrɛi̯ə(n)/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɛi̯ən
Verb
vrijen
- (intransitive) to make love, to have sex [from 20th century]
- Het is heel belangrijk om veilig te vrijen.
- It's very important to have safe sex.
- 2008, Bram Bakker, “Weg met Dr. Atkins”, in: De dwarse psychiater, Uitgeverij Maarten Muntinga, Amsterdam, →ISBN
- En partners krijgen niet de echte reden te horen waarom er zo weinig gevreeën wordt.
- And partners don’t get to hear the real reason why not much is happening in bed.
- En partners krijgen niet de echte reden te horen waarom er zo weinig gevreeën wordt.
- (intransitive) to make out, to cuddle, to hug and kiss
- Zij vroeg haar vriendje om eerst gewoon te vrijen.
- She asked her boyfriend to just kiss and hug first.
- (intransitive) to have a relationship, to be a couple, to go out with someone
- Zij heeft haar vriend Alex leren kennen op internet en ze vrijen al meer dan een jaar nu.
- She met her boyfriend Alex on the Internet and now they've been going out together for more than a year already.
Usage notes
The ambiguity between the first two senses often leads to confusion, which can lead the hearer to ask for clarification which sense is meant, but it also conveys exactly that the distinction might not be clear.
Inflection
| Inflection of vrijen (strong class 1) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | vrijen | |||
| past singular | vree | |||
| past participle | gevreeën | |||
| infinitive | vrijen | |||
| gerund | vrijen n | |||
| present tense | past tense | |||
| 1st person singular | vrij | vree | ||
| 2nd person sing. (jij) | vrijt | vree | ||
| 2nd person sing. (u) | vrijt | vree | ||
| 2nd person sing. (gij) | vrijt | vreet | ||
| 3rd person singular | vrijt | vree | ||
| plural | vrijen | vreeën | ||
| subjunctive sing.1 | vrije | vreeë | ||
| subjunctive plur.1 | vrijen | vreeën | ||
| imperative sing. | vrij | |||
| imperative plur.1 | vrijt | |||
| participles | vrijend | gevreeën | ||
| 1) Archaic. | ||||
| Inflection of vrijen (weak) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | vrijen | |||
| past singular | vrijde | |||
| past participle | gevrijd | |||
| infinitive | vrijen | |||
| gerund | vrijen n | |||
| present tense | past tense | |||
| 1st person singular | vrij | vrijde | ||
| 2nd person sing. (jij) | vrijt | vrijde | ||
| 2nd person sing. (u) | vrijt | vrijde | ||
| 2nd person sing. (gij) | vrijt | vrijde | ||
| 3rd person singular | vrijt | vrijde | ||
| plural | vrijen | vrijden | ||
| subjunctive sing.1 | vrije | vrijde | ||
| subjunctive plur.1 | vrijen | vrijden | ||
| imperative sing. | vrij | |||
| imperative plur.1 | vrijt | |||
| participles | vrijend | gevrijd | ||
| 1) Archaic. | ||||
Synonyms
- (have sex): seks hebben, een nummertje maken, naaien, neuken
- (make out): knuffelen
- (have a relationship): gaan met, verkeren, verkering hebben
Derived terms
- bevrijden
- op vrijersvoeten
- vrijer
- vrijerig
- vrijerij
Descendants
- Berbice Creole Dutch: freri
- Negerhollands: fri, vrie
Anagrams
- nijver