Breakdown of Wij kregen het bedrag voor de boete niet vergoed.
niet
not
wij
we
voor
for (on behalf of)
krijgen
to get (receive)
het bedrag
the amount
vergoeden
to reimburse
de boete
the fine
Questions & Answers about Wij kregen het bedrag voor de boete niet vergoed.
Why do we use kregen here instead of werden to form the passive voice?
This is the benefactive passive. We use a form of krijgen (to get or receive) plus a past participle when the subject is the receiver or beneficiary of an action. It translates very closely to the English structure 'getting something done'. Because wij are the ones receiving the reimbursement, we use kregen (we got) together with the past participle vergoed (reimbursed).
Why doesn't the past participle vergoed start with ge-?
Verbs that already start with an unstressed prefix like ver-, be-, ont-, or ge- do not get an extra ge- in their past participle form. The infinitive is vergoeden, so the past participle remains vergoed.
Why is niet placed so far back in the sentence, right before vergoed?
In Dutch, niet usually comes after a specific direct object, which here is the whole phrase het bedrag voor de boete (the amount for the fine). It also must come before any verbs that are pushed to the end of the clause. Since the past participle vergoed belongs at the very end, niet is placed right in front of it.
Are there other common verbs that use this krijgen passive structure?
Yes! You will often see the krijgen passive used with verbs involving giving, sending, or paying. Common examples at this level include getting something paid (betaald krijgen), getting something delivered (geleverd krijgen), or getting something explained (uitgelegd krijgen).
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