Word
De docent is een beetje boos.
Meaning
The teacher is a bit angry.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about De docent is een beetje boos.
Why doesn't boos have an -e at the end here?
Because it comes after the verb is to describe the teacher, rather than sitting directly in front of a noun. When an adjective is used later in the sentence like this (called a predicative adjective), it never gets an extra -e ending.
How does the phrase een beetje work here?
Een beetje means a bit or a little. Just like in English, you place it directly before the adjective (boos) to soften its meaning. It functions as a set phrase, so you should always keep the article een attached to it when modifying an adjective.
Could I use other words like heel or te in the exact same spot as een beetje?
Yes! You can simply swap out een beetje for other degree modifiers without changing the sentence structure. For example, you could say De docent is heel boos (very angry) or De docent is te boos (too angry).
Does docent refer to a specific type of teacher?
It can! While both docent and leraar translate to teacher, leraar is mostly used for primary or high school. Docent is also used in high schools but is the standard word for teachers in higher education, like college or university instructors.