Breakdown of Het is een ingewikkelde klus, maar de kast valt te restaureren.
zijn
to be
een
a/an
maar
but
de kast
the cabinet / closet
het
it
vallen
to fall
te
to (infinitive marker)
restaureren
to restore
ingewikkeld
complicated
de klus
the chore/the job
Questions & Answers about Het is een ingewikkelde klus, maar de kast valt te restaureren.
Why does this sentence use valt to mean "can be"?
Using vallen + te + an infinitive verb is a common Dutch structure that means something "can be" done. It shows possibility. Here, valt te restaureren means the cabinet "can be restored" or "is restorable".
Could I say is te restaureren instead of valt te restaureren?
Yes, they mean exactly the same thing. In Dutch, you can use either zijn te or vallen te followed by an infinitive to express that an action is possible.
Why does the adjective ingewikkelde get an -e added to the end?
The word klus is a de-word. When you put an adjective before a de-word, even after the word een, the adjective must end in -e. Because the past participle ingewikkeld is used as an adjective here, it becomes ingewikkelde.
What is the difference between a klus and a baan?
A baan is your regular employment or career. A klus refers to a specific task, chore, or DIY project, like fixing up an old piece of furniture.
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