Breakdown of Het is onwerkelijk, alsof ik het personage bestuur.
ik
I
zijn
to be
het
it
alsof
as if
onwerkelijk
unreal
het personage
the character (in a game or story)
besturen
to control / to steer
Questions & Answers about Het is onwerkelijk, alsof ik het personage bestuur.
Why is the verb bestuur at the very end of the sentence?
The word alsof (as if) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause, which forces the conjugated verb (bestuur) to the end of that clause. The normal word order would be ik bestuur het personage, but alsof kicks the verb to the back.
Why use personage for "character"? Couldn't I just use karakter?
In Dutch, het personage refers specifically to a fictional character in a book, movie, or video game. If you say het karakter, a Dutch speaker will think you mean someone's personality or nature.
Doesn't besturen usually mean "to drive" or "to govern"? Why is it translated as "controlling" here?
Yes! Besturen literally means to steer or direct. You can use it for driving a vehicle (een auto besturen) or running a country (een land besturen). In the context of a video game or simulation, you are steering the avatar, making besturen the perfect verb for controlling a character.
How is the word onwerkelijk built?
It is built from the base adjective werkelijk, which means real or actual. Adding the prefix on- makes it the opposite: unreal. It is often used to describe dreamlike, bizarre, or surreal situations.
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