Breakdown of De zon is erg heet, maar de maan is niet heet.
zijn
to be
niet
not
maar
but
erg
very / really
de zon
the sun
heet
hot
de maan
the moon
Questions & Answers about De zon is erg heet, maar de maan is niet heet.
Why does niet come right before heet in the second part of the sentence?
When you negate an adjective (a describing word) like heet, the negator niet is placed directly before that adjective.
Why do we use niet here instead of geen?
Does the word maar change the word order in the second half of the sentence?
No, maar (but) links two main clauses together without changing the word order of either one. That is why de maan is niet heet keeps the normal Subject-Verb order, exactly like the first half of the sentence.
Could I use heel instead of erg to mean "very" in the first clause?
Yes! Both erg and heel can mean "very" when placed before an adjective like heet. You will hear Dutch speakers use both interchangeably in sentences like this.
Learn De zon is erg heet, maar de maan is niet heet and more in Dutch
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