Breakdown of De helft van de boter wordt toegevoegd.
worden
to become
van
from (possession, starting point) / made of
de boter
the butter
toevoegen
to add
de helft
the half
Questions & Answers about De helft van de boter wordt toegevoegd.
Why do we use de helft here instead of just half?
De helft is a noun meaning "the half." We use it when talking about half of a specific amount or group (de helft van...). Half (or halve) is an adjective that directly modifies a noun, like in een half uur (a half hour) or een halve appel (half an apple).
In English we can just say "half the butter." Can I drop van and say de helft de boter?
No, you cannot drop it in Dutch. When using the noun de helft before another noun, you must always include van to mean "half of" the thing, as in de helft van de boter.
Why is the verb wordt used here instead of is?
This sentence uses the present passive voice to describe an action happening right now (the butter is being added). In Dutch, the present passive is formed using worden (to become) plus a past participle. If you said is toegevoegd, it would be the present perfect passive, meaning the action is already finished ("has been added").
I see ge in the middle of toegevoegd. How does that work?
The infinitive is toevoegen (to add), which is a separable verb made of toe + voegen. When you form the past participle of a separable verb, the ge- goes right between the prefix and the main verb, resulting in toegevoegd.
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