Verdrinken
Example: Hij was bang dat hij zou verdrinken in de zee.
Definition
"Verdrinken" means to die by suffocating underwater, typically due to being submerged in a liquid such as the sea or a pool. It describes the act of losing life because of an inability to breathe while immersed in water or another liquid medium.
Etymology
The Dutch verb "verdrinken" comes from the combination of the prefix 'ver-' indicating a destructive or intensive action, and 'drinken', meaning to drink. Originally, it referred to drinking excessively but evolved to mean drowning, as if one were 'drinking' water uncontrollably while submerged. Did you know? The connection between drinking and drowning highlights how language often links physical actions with their dangerous outcomes.
Learn to use this word actively
"Verdrinken" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - (B1) - set 4", containing 113 commonly used words.
Would you like to not only understand these words, but also remember them and use them actively? Create a free account and select Dutch as the language you want to learn.
Create a free account
