A word group inside a compound: hogesnelheidslijn and kortetermijnoplossing

When the whole phrase hoge snelheid (high speed) becomes the first part of a compound, Dutch normally closes the spaces while keeping the adjective ending: hogesnelheidslijn (high-speed line). The same process gives kortetermijnoplossing, socialezekerheidsstelsel, and eerstehulpverlening.

When an entire word group serves as one part of a lexical unit, write that group together with the rest of the compound. A basic compound joins two blocks: trein + kaart = treinkaart. In [hoge snelheid] + lijn, the phrase hoge snelheid together tells you what kind of line is meant, so all three parts form hogesnelheidslijn.

This extends the ordinary compound rule: Dutch compounds are written as one word. What is new here is the internal phrase. The visible -e in hoge, korte, sociale, and gelijke helps reveal that phrase's original structure.

Decide the adjective form inside the source phrase before joining anything. Snelheid, termijn, zekerheid, and plural kansen require the inflected forms hoge, korte, sociale, and gelijke. Joining the phrase into a compound does not erase those endings.

Do not choose the ending from the final head. In hoogrisicozwangerschap, hoog agrees inside hoog risico; the final word zwangerschap does not change it. Review adjective endings if the source phrase itself is uncertain.

Spacing can change which noun the adjective describes. If the adjective belongs inside the first building block, join the whole compound. If it describes the completed compound, leave it outside as a separate word.

Some theoretical separated readings are unusual in real life, but the contrast exposes the structure. Ask a paraphrase question: is it a loper van lange afstanden? Then the intended first block is lange afstand, so write langeafstandsloper.

Ordinary adjective + noun phrases remain separate when the adjective describes the compound as a whole: een slimme beleidskeuze, een recent regeringsakkoord, mooie vloertegels. There is no hidden phrase serving as the first compound block.

A few domain terms allow both analyses, sometimes with little practical difference: sociale woningbouw and socialewoningbouw can reflect different structural readings. When both meanings are plausible, use the established spelling in your field and keep it consistent.

The default is one uninterrupted word, but a readability hyphen is often allowed in a long compound: langeafstandsloper, lange-afstandsloper, and langeafstands-loper can all represent the same structure. Use such a hyphen sparingly and place it at a meaningful boundary.

The last row is only a pointer: hyphens in compounds owns the vowel-collision and special-prefix rules. English loan phrases and compounds have their own conventions on English words in Dutch compounds.

When a multiword proper name is the first part, keep its internal spaces and capitals, then attach the new final element to the last name word: Tweede Kamer + lid → Tweede Kamerlid and Rode Kruis + post → Rode Kruispost. This looks different from an ordinary all-lowercase compound because the spelling of the name is protected.

This is not permission to insert spaces into an ordinary compound. First verify that the multiword sequence is genuinely an adopted proper name; otherwise apply the ordinary joining rule.

• Paraphrase the meaning and identify the complete internal phrase.
• Write that phrase correctly on its own, including the adjective ending.
• If the phrase forms one block with a new head, close the spaces under the compound rule.
• Finally check whether a proper name, required hyphen, or optional readability hyphen changes the visible result.

• Do not write hoge snelheidslijn when you mean a line for high speed; write hogesnelheidslijn.
• Do not delete the adjective ending inside the phrase: kortetermijnoplossing, not korttermijnoplossing.
• Do not join a free adjective that describes the whole compound: een recent regeringsakkoord.
• Do not use a hyphen to disguise an unresolved meaning: first decide which words belong together.
• Do not flatten a multiword proper name: write Tweede Kamerlid, preserving the name.

Review ordinary compound nouns, linking letters, and the adjective -e rule. The syllable-division page helps when checking long written forms.