Breakdown of De volle kast is zwaar.
zijn
to be
de kast
the cabinet / the closet
zwaar
heavy / severe (of a punishment) / tough, hard
vol
full
Questions & Answers about De volle kast is zwaar.
Why is it volle instead of the dictionary word vol?
When an adjective is placed directly before the noun it describes, it usually gets an -e added to the end. Because "full" comes right before "closet" here, vol becomes volle.
Why does vol get an extra 'l' when the -e is added?
This is a Dutch spelling rule to keep the vowel sound short. The 'o' in vol is a short sound. If we simply wrote vole, the single 'l' followed by the vowel 'e' would make the 'o' sound long (pronounced like "voh-luh"). Doubling the consonant to make volle locks in the short 'o' sound.
Why doesn't zwaar (heavy) get an -e at the end like volle does?
Adjectives only get the extra -e when they come directly before the noun (like volle kast). When an adjective comes after the verb (like is zwaar), it always stays in its basic dictionary form.
Does kast always translate to "closet"?
Kast is actually a very broad word in Dutch. While it means "closet" here, it is used for almost any piece of furniture with doors or shelves used for storage. Depending on the room, it could be a cabinet, cupboard, wardrobe, or bookcase.