Introduction: Turning Actions and Qualities into Nouns

Nominalization (nominalisatie or substantivering) is the process of forming a noun from a verb or an adjective. This is a common feature in many languages and is frequently used in Dutch, particularly in more formal, academic, or abstract writing, to make sentences more concise or to focus on the action or quality itself as a concept.

At B2 level, recognizing and using nominalizations effectively contributes to a more sophisticated and varied language style.

Nominalizing Verbs

Verbs can be turned into nouns in several ways:

1. Using the Infinitive: The infinitive form of a verb can often function directly as a neuter (het) noun, referring to the action itself.

• lezen (to read) -> het lezen (the reading)
• Het lezen van boeken is belangrijk. (The reading of books is important.)
• zwemmen (to swim) -> het zwemmen (the swimming)
• Zwemmen is gezond. (Swimming is healthy.) - Note: het can often be omitted when the nominalized verb acts as the subject.
• parkeren (to park) -> het parkeren (the parking)
• Het parkeren is hier verboden. (Parking is forbidden here.)

1. Adding Suffixes (Common Patterns): Certain suffixes turn verbs into nouns, often indicating the result of the action, the action itself, or a related concept. These often have a specific gender (de or het).

• -ing (often de words): Very common, denotes the action or result.
• vertalen (to translate) -> de vertaling (the translation)
• beslissen (to decide) -> de beslissing (the decision)
• openen (to open) -> de opening (the opening)
• wandelen (to walk) -> de wandeling (the walk, hike)
• -st (often de words, especially for arrival/benefit/loss):
• komen (to come) -> de komst (the arrival)
• winnen (to win) -> de winst (the profit, gain)
• verliezen (to lose) -> het verlies (the loss) (Note: het)
• -atie/-tie (often de words, from Latin roots):
• informeren (to inform) -> de informatie (the information)
• organiseren (to organize) -> de organisatie (the organization)
• communiceren (to communicate) -> de communicatie (the communication)
• Other suffixes: -heid, -nis, -sel, stem changes (less predictable, often learned as vocabulary).
• groeien (to grow) -> de groei (the growth)
• beginnen (to begin) -> het begin (the beginning)
• begrijpen (to understand) -> het begrip (the understanding, concept)

Nominalizing Adjectives

Adjectives can be turned into nouns, typically referring to the quality itself or to people/things possessing that quality.

1. Referring to the Quality (Abstract Noun): Often formed by adding -heid or -te. These are usually de words.

• mooi (beautiful) -> de schoonheid (the beauty)
• goed (good) -> de goedheid (the goodness)
• ziek (ill) -> de ziekte (the illness, disease)
• hoog (high) -> de hoogte (the height)
• diep (deep) -> de diepte (the depth)

1. Referring to People/Things (Concrete Noun): The inflected form of the adjective (usually with -e) can function as a noun, often preceded by an article or demonstrative pronoun. Gender depends on the context (person/thing).

• ziek (ill) -> de zieke (the ill person)
• De zieke ligt in bed. (The sick person is lying in bed.)
• oud (old) -> de oude (the old person/thing)
• De ouden worden goed verzorgd. (The elderly are well cared for.)
• Nederlands (Dutch) -> het Nederlands (the Dutch language)
• Hij spreekt goed Nederlands. (He speaks good Dutch.)
• interessant (interesting) -> het interessante (the interesting thing/part)
• Dat is het interessante aan het verhaal. (That is the interesting part of the story.)

Usage and Style

• Conciseness: Nominalization can make sentences shorter by replacing clauses.
• Clause: Dat hij vertraagd was, veroorzaakte problemen. (That he was delayed caused problems.)
• Nominalization: Zijn vertraging veroorzaakte problemen. (His delay caused problems.)
• Abstraction: Focuses on the concept rather than the specific action or actor.
• Verb focus: De regering beslist morgen. (The government decides tomorrow.)
• Noun focus: De beslissing van de regering wordt morgen verwacht. (The government's decision is expected tomorrow.)
• Formality: Overuse can make text sound heavy or bureaucratic, but appropriate use is key to formal and academic styles.

Nominalization is a powerful tool for creating nouns from verbs and adjectives in Dutch. Recognizing infinitives used as nouns (het lezen), common suffixes like -ing, -heid, and -te, and adjectives functioning as nouns (de zieke, het interessante) is crucial at the B2 level. Using nominalization appropriately can make your Dutch more concise, abstract, and sophisticated, particularly in writing. Be mindful not to overuse it, as it can sometimes make the text less direct.