Breakdown of De boter wordt op de weegschaal gewogen.
op
on
worden
to become
de boter
the butter
wegen
to weigh
Questions & Answers about De boter wordt op de weegschaal gewogen.
Why is wordt used here instead of is to mean 'is weighed'?
In Dutch, the passive voice for a present, ongoing, or general action uses worden (literally 'to become'), not zijn (to be). If you said De boter is gewogen, it changes the meaning to the present perfect: 'The butter has been weighed' (the action is already finished).
What is the infinitive of gewogen, and is it a regular verb?
The infinitive is wegen (to weigh). It is an irregular (strong) verb, which is why the vowel changes. The past simple is woog (singular) or wogen (plural), and the past participle is gewogen.
Why does gewogen go at the very end of the sentence?
This follows the standard Dutch word order for sentences with a helping verb and a main verb (the 'verb sandwich'). The conjugated auxiliary verb (wordt) takes the second position in the sentence, pushing the past participle (gewogen) all the way to the end.
How is the word weegschaal (scale) formed?
It is a compound noun made of weeg (from wegen, to weigh) and schaal (bowl or dish). It literally translates to 'weigh-bowl', referring to the traditional balance scales that used two hanging dishes. Today, it is used for any kind of weighing scale.