verkering

From Middle Dutch verkeringhe (“throwing over; reversal; having contact”). Dervided from verkeren (“to have contact, associate”) +‎ -ing (action noun).^[1]

• IPA^(key): /vərˈkeː.rɪŋ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eːrɪŋ
• Hyphenation: ver‧ke‧ring

verkering f (plural verkeringen, diminutive verkerinkje n)

1. (dated) social contact, intercourse, dealings among people

   Synonyms: omgang, verkeer

2. (Netherlands) the state of having a relationship, of dating or going out together

   Synonym: relatie (see usage notes below)

   Zij heeft verkering met onze overbuur.

   She has a relationship with our neighbour across the road.

   • 1981, “Marie”‎^[1]performed by Rubberen Robbie:

     Dames en heren, het volgende liedje gaat over mijn verkering, Marie...
     We hadden toch verkering, waarom ben jij dan weggegaan?
     Oké, ik drink wel eens een biertje met daar een whisky achteraan.

     Ladies and gentlemen, the next song is about my relationship [i.e. girlfriend], Marie...
     We were in a relationship, so why did you go away?
     Fine, I may drink a beer at times with a whisky to follow.

   • 2008, Bram Bakker, “Dikke billen, nou en?”, in De dwarse psychiater, Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Maarten Muntinga, →ISBN, page 168:

     Het doet me denken aan iets wat mijn zoon vertelde. Die is dertien en heeft voor het eerst verkering.

     It reminds me of something my son told me. He is thirteen and goes with a girl for the first time.

   1. partner, significant other (the person one is in a relationship with, is dating, or doing out with)

      Synonyms: vriend m, vriendin f, vriendinnetje f, vriendje m, partner m or f, geliefde m or f

      • 2025 November 10, Joost Oomen, “Morele leegte” (0:00:07 from the start), in Druktemaker‎^[2], via NPO Radio 1:

        Het was zondagochtend en ik [at] afbakcroissants met mijn verkering.

        It was Sunday morning and I was pre-baked croissants with my partner.

• The word is mainly used of children and teenagers. Therefore it has a connotation of not being very serious or long-lasting. Once it turns out to be more serious, one would use one of the synonyms, such as relatie, or speak of vriend (“boyfriend”)/vriendin (“girlfriend”).
• Commonly collocates with hebben (met).

• “verkering” in Woordenlijst Nederlandse Taal – Officiële Spelling, Nederlandse Taalunie. [the official spelling word list for the Dutch language]
• Matthias de Vries; Lambert Allard te Winkel (1864), “verkering”, in Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, published 2001