Breakdown of Hij pleegt een gewelddadige overval.
de overval
the robbery
gewelddadig
violent
plegen
to commit (a crime)
Questions & Answers about Hij pleegt een gewelddadige overval.
Why do we use pleegt here, and what other words is it commonly used with?
Plegen means "to commit". Just like in English, it is used almost exclusively for crimes or severe negative actions. Common combinations you should know at this level include een moord plegen (to commit a murder), fraude plegen (to commit fraud), and zelfmoord plegen (to commit suicide).
Can I just say Hij doet een gewelddadige overval instead?
No, that sounds very unnatural. While English speakers often fall back on "to do" or "to make" for general actions, Dutch requires the specific verb plegen when talking about carrying out a crime, attack, or hold-up.
Why does the adjective gewelddadige have a double 'd' in the middle?
It is a compound word built from two nouns you likely already know: geweld (violence) and daad (deed or act). The suffix -ig turns it into the adjective gewelddadig (violent). Because it modifies a de-word (de overval) preceded by een, it gets the standard -e inflection at the end.
How does een overval differ from other crime words like een diefstal or een inbraak?
Een overval is a raid, hold-up, or mugging—it implies a sudden, direct, and often violent confrontation with the victim. Een diefstal is a general theft (which often happens in secret), and een inbraak is specifically a burglary or break-in where a building is forced into.
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