Breakdown of Het scherm is kapot; ik kan hierop niet werken.
ik
I
zijn
to be
hier
here
niet
not
werken
to work
op
on
kunnen
can
kapot
broken
het scherm
the screen
Questions & Answers about Het scherm is kapot; ik kan hierop niet werken.
What does hierop mean and how is it formed?
Hierop means on this. In Dutch, you cannot combine a preposition like op (on) with a pointing word like dit (this) when referring to a lifeless thing. Instead, dit changes into hier (here) and attaches to the front of the preposition, making hierop.
Why did the speaker use hierop instead of daarop?
You use hier + preposition when talking about something close by (this), and daar + preposition for something further away (that). Because the speaker is sitting right in front of the broken screen, they say work on this, which translates to hierop.
Why is the verb werken at the end of the sentence?
The second clause uses the helping verb kan (can). In Dutch, a helping verb takes the normal position early in the sentence, but it pushes the main action verb, which is werken (to work), all the way to the very end of the clause.
Why does niet come after hierop?
The word niet (not) usually comes after specific place or object details, such as the combined word hierop. It also naturally sits just before the main verb it negates (werken), which is parked at the end of the sentence.
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