Word
Maskinen er både gammel og svær at betjene.
Meaning
The machine is both old and hard to operate.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Maskinen er både gammel og svær at betjene.
Why is the verb betjene in the active voice when the machine is the thing being operated?
This is a special sentence structure where we use an adjective like svær (hard) followed by at and an active infinitive verb (betjene). Even though the verb is active, the meaning is passive: the machine is hard to operate (by someone). It works exactly like the English translation!
Why do we use svær and gammel without a -t at the end?
The adjectives gammel and svær must agree with the subject of the sentence, Maskinen. Because en maskine is a common gender noun (an en-word), the adjectives take the basic common gender form without an added -t.
How does the phrase både ... og work here?
The phrase både ... og translates exactly to "both ... and". It is used to emphasize that the machine has two qualities at once. Just like in English, it links two words of the same type, which in this case are the two adjectives gammel and svær.
Is the verb betjene only used when talking about machines?
Not always! While betjene means to "operate" when talking about machines, technical systems, or tools, it is also the standard verb for "to serve" customers in a shop, bank, or restaurant.