Breakdown of Onze nieuwe machine is heel efficiënt.
zijn
to be
heel
very
onze
our (de-words, plurals)
nieuw
new
de machine
the machine
efficiënt
efficient
Questions & Answers about Onze nieuwe machine is heel efficiënt.
Why is it Onze nieuwe and not Ons nieuw?
The word machine is a de word. For de words, we always use the possessive onze (not ons, which is for het words). Because it is a de word, the adjective describing it also gets an extra -e at the end, making it nieuwe.
Why does efficiënt have two dots over the second 'e'?
Those two dots are called a trema. In Dutch, the letters i and e together normally make an 'ee' sound (like in niet). The dots on the ë tell you to break the vowel combination and pronounce the e as a new, separate syllable.
How would the word order change if I started this sentence with Bovendien (Moreover)?
Because bovendien is an adverb, putting it at the start of the sentence triggers verb-second inversion. The verb is must stay in the second position, so the subject onze nieuwe machine moves right after it. You would say: Bovendien is onze nieuwe machine heel efficiënt.
Could I use erg instead of heel in this sentence?
Yes! In Dutch, both heel and erg can mean 'very' when placed before an adjective. Saying erg efficiënt means the exact same thing as heel efficiënt.
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