liefhebben
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutch liefhebben, equivalent to lief + hebben. Cognate with Low German leefhebben, German liebhaben.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈlifˌɦɛbə(n)/
Audio: (file) - Hyphenation: lief‧heb‧ben
Verb
liefhebben
- to love (to have a strong affection for)
- Synonym: houden van
- a. 1525, anonymous author, “Lied van de twee koningskinderen”, in Haerlems Oudt Liedt-boeck, 27th edition, published 1716:
- Het waren twee koninghs kindren,
Sy hadden malkander soo lief;- There were two royal children
Who loved each other so dearly
- There were two royal children
Conjugation
| Conjugation of liefhebben (weak, irregular, separable) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | liefhebben | |||
| past singular | had lief | |||
| past participle | liefgehad | |||
| infinitive | liefhebben | |||
| gerund | liefhebben n | |||
| main clause | subordinate clause | |||
| present tense | past tense | present tense | past tense | |
| 1st person singular | heb lief | had lief | liefheb | liefhad |
| 2nd person sing. (jij) | hebt lief, heb lief2 | had lief | liefhebt | liefhad |
| 2nd person sing. (u) | hebt lief, heeft lief | had lief | liefhebt, liefheeft | liefhad |
| 2nd person sing. (gij) | hebt lief | hadt lief | liefhebt | liefhadt |
| 3rd person singular | heeft lief | had lief | liefheeft | liefhad |
| plural | hebben lief | hadden lief | liefhebben | liefhadden |
| subjunctive sing.1 | hebbe lief | hadde lief | liefhebbe | liefhadde |
| subjunctive plur.1 | hebben lief | hadden lief | liefhebben | liefhadden |
| imperative sing. | heb lief | |||
| imperative plur.1 | hebt lief | |||
| participles | liefhebbend | liefgehad | ||
| 1) Archaic. 2) In case of inversion. | ||||
Derived terms
Descendants
- Afrikaans: liefhê
- Negerhollands: hab lief