-baar

Adjective Suffix -able

Level 5

The Dutch suffix -baar is the equivalent of the English -able or -ible. It attaches to verb stems to indicate that an action is possible.

How It Works

The suffix -baar is a highly productive tool in Dutch for creating adjectives from verbs.

1. Formation:
To form these adjectives, you take the verb stem and add -baar. Because you are working with the stem, you must apply standard Dutch spelling rules:

Long vowels remain long: lezen (to read) → lees- → leesbaar (readable).
Consonant changes (v/z to f/s): geloven (to believe) → geloof- → geloofbaar (believable).

2. Transitivity Rule:
Generally, -baar attaches to transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object). If you want to use it with an intransitive verb, you often need a prefix like be- to make the verb transitive first (e.g., begaanbaar - walkable/passable). However, there are notable exceptions where intransitive verbs form adjectives without a prefix, such as werkbaar (workable) and leefbaar (livable).

3. Nuance vs. -lijk:
While -baar focuses on the logical or physical possibility of an action, the suffix -lijk often describes a quality or a social likelihood. For example, begrijpbaar means it is logically possible to understand it, whereas begrijpelijk means it is understandable or reasonable in a given context.

4. Exceptions:
A few common words are 'lexicalized,' meaning they don't strictly follow the 'can be verbed' rule anymore, such as blijkbaar (apparently) or vruchtbaar (fertile).

Examples (5)

Is het kraanwater in dit hotel drinkbaar?
Is the tap water in this hotel drinkable?
Word by Word: Is the tap-water in this hotel drink-able?
Derived from 'drinken' (to drink). It describes the physical possibility of drinking the water.
Zijn handschrift is helaas nauwelijks leesbaar.
His handwriting is unfortunately hardly readable.
Word by Word: His handwriting is unfortunately hardly read-able.
Derived from 'lezen' (to read). Note the double 'e' in the stem 'lees-' to maintain the long vowel sound.
Dit plan is niet uitvoerbaar binnen het budget.
This plan is not executable within the budget.
Word by Word: This plan is not out-carry-able within the budget.
Derived from the separable verb 'uitvoeren' (to execute/carry out).
De data zijn eenvoudig downloadbaar op onze website.
The data are easily downloadable on our website.
Word by Word: The data are simple download-able on our website.
This shows the productivity of the suffix; it can even be applied to modern loanwords like 'downloaden'.
Zij is erg dankbaar voor je hulp.
She is very grateful for your help.
Word by Word: She is very thank-able for your help.
An example of an 'active' meaning; she is the one giving thanks, rather than being 'able to be thanked'.

Common Mistakes

Using -baar with intransitive verbs without a prefix.
Het pad is niet gaanbaar.
Het pad is niet begaanbaar.
'Gaan' (to go) is intransitive. To say a path is 'passable', you must use the transitive version 'begaan' with the prefix 'be-'.
Forgetting spelling changes in the verb stem.
Dat is niet geloovbaar.
Dat is niet geloofbaar.
The stem of geloven is geloof: the v becomes f at the end of a syllable, and the long vowel is written oo in that closed syllable. So the -baar form is written with f, not v.

How It Connects

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-baarLevel 5Adjective Suffix -able

Learn This First

To use the suffix -baar, you must first know how to find the verb stem, as this is the base to which the suffix is attached. Additionally, basic spelling rules are crucial for maintaining the correct vowel sounds in the stem, and understanding adjective inflection is necessary for using the resulting words in sentences.

Words in This Pattern