Breakdown of Maskinen er både gammel og svær at betjene.
være
to be
gammel
old
at
to
svær
difficult
maskinen
the machine
både … og
both … and
betjene
to operate
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.
Learn Maskinen er både gammel og svær at betjene and more in Danish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free