Breakdown of Hergebruiken is immers goed voor het milieu.
zijn
to be
goed
good
voor
for (on behalf of)
het milieu
the environment
immers
after all (giving a reason)
hergebruiken
to reuse
Questions & Answers about Hergebruiken is immers goed voor het milieu.
How does immers change the tone of this sentence compared to just saying Hergebruiken is goed voor het milieu?
By adding immers, the speaker is saying 'as we both know' or 'after all.' It justifies a point made just before this sentence by pointing to a shared, undisputed fact. Without it, the sentence would just be a neutral statement of fact.
Why is the adverb immers placed right after the verb instead of at the end like 'after all' in English?
In Dutch, consensus adverbs that refer to shared knowledge go in the middle field of the sentence. They typically sit directly after the conjugated verb (here, is) and any specific subjects, rather than at the very beginning or end of the clause.
Why is the verb hergebruiken acting as the subject here?
Just like the '-ing' form in English (reusing), Dutch can use the full infinitive of a verb as a noun to talk about the activity itself. These infinitive nouns are always neuter (het words), though here the word is used without an article because it refers to a general concept.
Does milieu mean the exact same thing as it does in English?
In everyday Dutch, het milieu is the standard way to say 'the environment' when talking about nature, climate, and ecology. While it can occasionally mean a social environment just like in English, its primary everyday use is strictly environmental.
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