The Suffix -loos
To express that something is lacking or absent, Dutch uses the suffix -loos. It functions exactly like the English suffix "-less". By attaching it to a noun, you create an adjective that means "without [noun]".
| The situation in the wilderness is hopeless. | De situatie in de wildernis is hopeloos. |
| The babies are helpless without us. | De baby's zijn hulpeloos zonder ons. |
| It is pointless to scream in the desert. | Het is zinloos om te schreeuwen in de woestijn. |
You will see this suffix frequently when describing challenging situations or survival scenarios, where you might lack help (hulpeloos), chances (kansloos), or courage (moedeloos).
Adding the -e Ending
Words ending in -loos are standard adjectives. When you place one directly in front of a noun to describe it, it often needs the standard -e adjective ending.
Because of Dutch spelling rules, adding this ending causes a small change. The double vowel oo becomes a single o in the new open syllable, and the s turns into a z. This means -loos becomes -loze.
| We walk through the endless desert until we find water. | We lopen door de eindeloze woestijn totdat we water vinden. |
| I eat the tasteless fish so that I survive. | Ik eet de smaakloze vis zodat ik overleef. |
(Note that some words, like *eindeloos and hulpeloos, have an extra connecting -e- between the root noun and the suffix.)*
Using -loos as an Adverb
You can also use these words as adverbs to describe how an action happens. When describing a verb, the word keeps its base form and does not get an -e ending.
| The animal moves soundlessly through the dark forest. | Het dier beweegt geluidloos door het donkere bos. |
| We watch breathlessly while the helicopter arrives. | We kijken ademloos terwijl de helikopter aankomt. |