What does “voertuig” mean in Dutch?

Voertuig is a compound of voer- (from voeren, to transport or carry) and -tuig (gear, apparatus) — literally “carry-rig.” German does the same trick with Fahrzeug (fahren + Zeug). The word names the whole category by what it does: carry you somewhere. Note that the word itself is neuter — het voertuig — even though many individual vehicles are de-words (de bus, de trein, de auto), so the ending doesn’t dictate one article across the board.

The pattern parallels vaartuig (“watercraft”), where vaar- comes from varen (to sail/travel by water) — the same -tuig suffix, a different motion verb. Both words show how Dutch compounds bake their function into their structure. In the clip, teacher Kenny runs through a list of vehicles and which article each one takes — a reminder that de vs het in Dutch has to be learned word by word rather than read off the ending.