Adverbs of Manner: -gewijs, -weg, and wijze
In Dutch, you can easily form descriptive adverbs—words that describe how an action is performed—by attaching specific suffixes to nouns and adjectives.
The Suffix -gewijs
Adding the suffix -gewijs to a noun creates an adverb that means "by [noun]" or "in [noun]s". It describes the proportion, grouping, or sequence of an action.
| We tackle the project step by step. | We pakken het project stapsgewijs aan. |
| The water falls drop by drop from the ceiling. | Het water valt druppelsgewijs uit het plafond. |
| The tourists visit the museum in groups. | De toeristen bezoeken het museum groepsgewijs. |
You will also see -gewijs (sometimes with a connecting -er-) attached to adjectives or verbs to describe a logical progression or a manner of doing something:
| That logically leads to a conflict. | Dat leidt logischerwijs tot een conflict. |
| The children learn the language playfully. | De kinderen leren de taal spelenderwijs. |
The Suffix -weg
The suffix -weg is attached to adjectives. While it often translates to the English "-ly", it usually adds a sense of directness, bluntness, approximation, or simplicity to the description.
| That device weighs roughly five kilos. | Dat apparaat weegt grofweg vijf kilo. |
| I simply do not have time for this hobby anymore. | Ik heb simpelweg geen tijd meer voor deze hobby. |
| The manager bluntly refuses to help the customer. | De manager weigert botweg de klant te helpen. |
The Noun wijze
The suffix -gewijs is historically related to the standalone noun de wijze, which means "the manner" or "the way". You will frequently encounter wijze in fixed prepositional phrases to explain a method or approach.
For example, op deze wijze means "in this manner", and bij wijze van means "by way of" (often used to introduce a test, experiment, or example).
| In this manner, we can solve the problem. | Op deze wijze kunnen we het probleem oplossen. |
| By way of experiment, we are handing out free pizza. | Bij wijze van proef delen we gratis pizza uit. |