Breakdown of Met dit talent is zelfs zijn slechtste cijfer nog steeds goed.
met
with
zijn
his
dit
this (neuter)
slecht
bad
goed
good
nog
still, yet / more, another (with a quantity)
het cijfer
the grade / the mark
steeds
again and again, constantly / still (in 'nog steeds')
zelfs
even
het talent
talent
Questions & Answers about Met dit talent is zelfs zijn slechtste cijfer nog steeds goed.
Why does zelfs come right before the subject zijn slechtste cijfer?
Focus adverbs like zelfs (even) are placed directly in front of the specific word or phrase they emphasize. Here, it highlights that 'even his worst grade' is good, so it attaches directly to that phrase.
Why is the verb is placed before the subject zelfs zijn slechtste cijfer?
Because of the V2 (verb-second) rule. The sentence starts with the phrase Met dit talent (With this talent). In Dutch, when you start a sentence with anything other than the subject, the verb must come next in the second position. The subject then immediately follows the verb.
Why does the adjective slechtste have an -e at the end?
Superlative adjectives (like worst, biggest, etc.) follow the normal rules for adjective endings. When placed directly before a noun, they get an -e added to the end. Even though cijfer is a het-word, the possessive pronoun zijn before it ensures the adjective gets the -e ending.
What is the difference between nog and nog steeds here?
While nog can mean 'still', it has many other meanings like 'yet' or 'else'. Adding steeds makes it perfectly clear that you mean 'still' in the sense of a continuing situation. In a sentence like this, nog steeds sounds more natural and emphatic than just using nog.
Learn Met dit talent is zelfs zijn slechtste cijfer nog steeds goed 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