Breakdown of Die wolkenkrabbers in het centrum worden steeds hoger.
in
in
die
that / those (de-words and plurals)
worden
to become
het centrum
the center
hoog
high / tall
steeds
again and again, constantly / still (in 'nog steeds')
de wolkenkrabber
the skyscraper
Questions & Answers about Die wolkenkrabbers in het centrum worden steeds hoger.
Why does this sentence use steeds hoger instead of repeating the word like "hoger en hoger"?
In English, we repeat the comparative to show ongoing change ("taller and taller"). In Dutch, you use the adverb steeds (which means constantly or increasingly) followed by just one comparative adjective. So, steeds hoger is the standard and most natural way to say "taller and taller" or "increasingly tall".
Why is the comparative of hoog spelled as hoger with only one "o"?
This is a classic Dutch spelling rule. The word hoog (high/tall) has a double vowel to keep the "o" sound long in a closed syllable. When you add the -er ending, the syllables split into ho-ger. Because the first syllable now ends in a vowel (an open syllable), the single "o" is naturally pronounced long, so the second "o" is dropped.
Why is the verb worden used here instead of a form of zijn (to be)?
What is the literal translation of the word wolkenkrabbers?
It translates almost exactly like its English equivalent! It is a compound word made of wolken (clouds) and krabbers (scratchers or scrapers, from the verb krabben, to scratch).
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