Abstract Nouns with -heid
When evaluating job applicants, you often need to talk about their traits. You can turn many native Dutch adjectives into abstract nouns by adding the suffix -heid. This works just like adding "-ness" in English.
All nouns ending in -heid are de-words.
| The reliability of the applicant has become apparent. | De betrouwbaarheid van de sollicitant is gebleken. |
| Honesty is a requirement for this position. | Eerlijkheid is een eis voor deze functie. |
International Words with -iteit
For adjectives of Latin or French origin (which often look like their English counterparts), Dutch uses the suffix -iteit, the equivalent of the English "-ity".
These are also always de-words. Note that spelling can shift slightly when adding the suffix, such as an f changing to a v (creatief becomes creativiteit).
| We are looking for someone with flexibility and creativity. | Wij zoeken iemand met flexibiliteit en creativiteit. |
| The boss wants to increase the productivity of the staff. | De baas wil de productiviteit van het personeel verhogen. |
Adjectives with "iets" and "niets"
You can also use the base adjectives to describe candidates directly, or as adverbs to describe how they work.
| Is the applicant accurate enough for this project? | Is de sollicitant nauwkeurig genoeg voor dit project? |
| He always works very accurately and productively. | Hij werkt altijd heel nauwkeurig en productief. |
When an adjective describes an indefinite pronoun like iets (something) or niets (nothing), you must add an -s to the end of the adjective.
| I would like to do something creative in my career. | Ik wil graag iets creatiefs doen in mijn carrière. |
| We saw nothing productive during the meeting. | Wij hebben tijdens de vergadering niets productiefs gezien. |