Nominalization in Dutch

Overview

Nominalization is the process of turning verbs and adjectives into nouns. In Dutch, this is a fundamental tool for creating formal, abstract, and academic prose. Where everyday Dutch uses verbs and short sentences, formal written Dutch transforms those verbs into nouns, producing a denser and more impersonal style. At the C1 level, you need to both recognize and produce nominalized constructions fluently.

Consider the difference: We moeten het probleem oplossen (We must solve the problem) becomes De oplossing van het probleem is noodzakelijk (The solution of the problem is necessary). The verb oplossen has been converted into the noun oplossing, and the sentence has shifted from a personal, active statement to an impersonal, abstract one. This is nominalization at work.

Nominalization is everywhere in Dutch academic papers, government documents, business reports, and news articles. It allows writers to pack more information into fewer words, to avoid naming specific agents, and to discuss processes and states as if they were concrete things. Mastering it is essential for reading and writing at an advanced level.

How It Works

Common Nominalization Suffixes

Suffix	Base	Nominalized form	English
-ing	behandelen (treat)	de behandeling	treatment
-ing	ontwikkelen (develop)	de ontwikkeling	development
-ing	vergaderen (meet)	de vergadering	meeting
-heid	mogelijk (possible)	de mogelijkheid	possibility
-heid	noodzakelijk (necessary)	de noodzakelijkheid	necessity
-heid	werkelijk (real)	de werkelijkheid	reality
-tie	reageren (react)	de reactie	reaction
-tie	communiceren (communicate)	de communicatie	communication
-isme	ideaal (ideal)	het idealisme	idealism
-ment	ontwikkelen (develop)	het ontwikkelingsmoment	development moment
-schap	lid (member)	het lidmaatschap	membership
-te	hoog (high)	de hoogte	height
-te	breed (wide)	de breedte	width

Infinitive as Noun (het + infinitive)

Dutch can turn any infinitive into a neuter noun by placing het before it.

Infinitive	Nominalized	English
lezen	het lezen	reading
werken	het werken	working
nadenken	het nadenken	thinking, reflection
voortbestaan	het voortbestaan	continued existence

These are commonly used with prepositions:

• Bij het lezen van dit document... (When reading this document...)
• Het schrijven van een rapport vergt tijd. (Writing a report takes time.)
• Na het afstuderen ging zij werken. (After graduating, she started working.)

Present Participle as Noun (de + present participle)

The present participle (stem + -end/-ende) can function as a noun.

Verb	Participle noun	English
werken	de werkende	the worker / working person
studeren	de studerende	the studying person
reizen	de reizende	the traveler
overleveren	de overlevende	the survivor

Transforming Sentences

Here is how nominalization transforms sentence structure:

Verbal (informal)	Nominalized (formal)
We moeten dit onderwerp behandelen.	De behandeling van dit onderwerp is noodzakelijk.
De organisatie blijft bestaan.	Het voortbestaan van de organisatie staat vast.
Het is noodzakelijk dat we maatregelen nemen.	De noodzakelijkheid van maatregelen is evident.
Als je dit document leest...	Bij het lezen van dit document...
We verwachten dat de situatie verbetert.	De verwachte verbetering van de situatie...
Hoe het probleem is opgelost...	De wijze van probleemoplossing...

Compound Nominalizations

Dutch loves compound nouns, and nominalized forms participate in this freely:

Compound	Parts	English
de probleemoplossing	probleem + oplossing	problem-solving
de besluitvorming	besluit + vorming	decision-making
de informatievoorziening	informatie + voorziening	information provision
het kostenplaatje	kosten + plaatje	cost overview
de taakverdeling	taak + verdeling	task distribution

Examples in Context

Dutch	English	Note
De behandeling van dit onderwerp vergt zorgvuldigheid.	The treatment of this topic requires care.	-ing suffix
Het voortbestaan van de organisatie is gewaarborgd.	The continued existence of the organization is guaranteed.	het + infinitive
De noodzakelijkheid van maatregelen staat buiten kijf.	The necessity of measures is beyond question.	-heid suffix
Bij het lezen van dit document valt het volgende op.	When reading this document, the following stands out.	het + infinitive with bij
De ontwikkeling van nieuwe methoden is gaande.	The development of new methods is underway.	-ing suffix
De werkenden in deze sector verdienen meer steun.	The workers in this sector deserve more support.	Participle as noun
Na afloop van de vergadering volgt een borrel.	After the conclusion of the meeting, drinks follow.	Double nominalization
De wijze van besluitvorming is aan herziening toe.	The manner of decision-making is due for review.	Compound nominalization
Het opstellen van het rapport heeft drie weken geduurd.	Drafting the report took three weeks.	het + infinitive
De verbetering van de luchtkwaliteit is meetbaar.	The improvement of air quality is measurable.	-ing suffix

Common Mistakes

Over-Nominalizing Simple Ideas

• Wrong: De realisatie van de voltooiing van de verbouwing... (three nominalizations in a row)
• Right: De verbouwing is afgerond. (The renovation has been completed.)
• Why: Excessive nominalization creates dense, unreadable prose. Even in formal Dutch, clarity is valued. Use nominalization strategically, not compulsively.

Wrong Article with Het + Infinitive

• Wrong: De lezen van dit boek is moeilijk.
• Right: Het lezen van dit boek is moeilijk.
• Why: Infinitives used as nouns always take het (neuter), never de.

Missing Van After Nominalized Verbs

• Wrong: De behandeling dit onderwerp...
• Right: De behandeling van dit onderwerp...
• Why: When a nominalized verb takes an object, the object is typically linked with van (replacing the direct object relationship).

Choosing the Wrong Suffix

• Wrong: De mogelijking (trying to add -ing to an adjective)
• Right: De mogelijkheid
• Why: The suffix -ing typically attaches to verb stems, while -heid attaches to adjectives. Each suffix has its own base type, and mixing them creates non-existent words.

Usage Notes

Nominalization is a feature of formal written Dutch across both the Netherlands and Belgium. However, modern Dutch style guides increasingly warn against overuse. The Taalunie (Dutch Language Union) and government communication guidelines promote klare taal (clear language), which favors verbal constructions over heavy nominalization.

In academic Dutch, nominalization remains essential and expected. A thesis without nominalizations would read too informally. In business Dutch, a moderate level is appropriate. In journalism, nominalization is used selectively for efficiency but not at the expense of readability.

The ability to nominalize is also important for reading comprehension. Many advanced Dutch texts can only be understood if you can "unpack" nominalizations back into their verbal forms. When you encounter de instandhouding van het gebouw, you need to recognize that this means het gebouw in stand houden (to maintain the building).

Practice Tips

• Take five sentences from a Dutch news article and identify all nominalizations. Rewrite each sentence using verbs instead of nouns. Then reverse the exercise with verbal sentences from a conversation transcript.
• Build a personal list of common nominalizations organized by suffix (-ing, -heid, -tie, etc.). For each, note both the nominalized form and the underlying verb or adjective. This helps you see patterns.
• When writing formal Dutch texts, read your draft aloud. If a sentence sounds incomprehensible when spoken, you have probably over-nominalized. Simplify until the meaning is clear, then add back only the nominalizations that genuinely improve the text.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Written Dutch -- the broader context of formal writing conventions
• Next steps: Academic Dutch -- scholarly writing where nominalization is particularly important