Questions & Answers about Dat sterretje is heel ver weg.
Why is the diminutive sterretje instead of just stertje?
The base word is ster (star). Because it has a short vowel sound ending in a single consonant ('r'), we must double the 'r' to keep the vowel short. Words ending in a short vowel followed by r, l, m, n, or ng use the -etje suffix, making it sterretje.
Why do we use dat instead of die for "that" star?
All diminutives in Dutch (words ending in -je, -tje, -etje, etc.) are automatically het-words. Because of this, we always point to them using dat (that) or dit (this), even if the original base noun was a de-word.
Doesn't heel usually mean "whole"? Why is it translated as "very"?
As an adjective, heel does mean "whole" (like in de hele dag - the whole day). However, when placed in front of an adjective or adverb like ver (far), it acts as an intensifier and translates to "very".
Can I just say "heel ver" without adding "weg"?
Yes, you can simply say heel ver (very far). But adding weg (away) is extremely common and natural in Dutch to emphasize the distance, exactly like saying "far away" in English instead of just "far".