Breakdown of De klank van de viool is even mooi als een lied.
zijn
to be
een
a/an
mooi
beautiful
het lied
the song
van
from (possession, starting point) / made of
even
equally / as
als
as (like / conjunction)
de viool
the violin
de klank
the sound / the tone (musical, quality)
Questions & Answers about De klank van de viool is even mooi als een lied.
How does the even ... als structure work in this sentence?
It translates to "as ... as" and is a paired structure (like the ones you are learning in this lesson) used to show two things are equal. You place the adjective right in the middle: even mooi als (as beautiful as). You might also see zo mooi als, which means the exact same thing.
Could I use dan instead of als here?
No, because dan is only used for unequal comparisons, usually with adjectives ending in -er. If the violin were more beautiful, you would say mooier dan (more beautiful than). Because their beauty is equal here, you must use the paired words even ... als.
Why is it de klank van de viool instead of using an 's' like de viools klank?
In Dutch, adding an 's' to show possession is mostly reserved for people or proper names (like Anna's viool). For inanimate objects and concepts, using the preposition van (of) is the standard and most natural way to show possession.
I normally hear the word liedje for "song". Why does this sentence use lied?
Liedje is the diminutive form and is extremely common in everyday speech for pop songs, children's songs, or casual tunes. Lied is the base word and sounds a bit more formal, classical, or poetic, which perfectly matches the elegant mood of comparing something to a violin.
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