Breakdown of De polis dekt zowel de inbraak als de diefstal.
als
as (like / conjunction)
zowel
both (used with 'als')
de polis
the policy
dekken
to cover
Questions & Answers about De polis dekt zowel de inbraak als de diefstal.
Why does this sentence use zowel ... als instead of beide to say "both"?
Zowel ... als ... is a fixed pair meaning "both ... and ...". You use it when you are directly linking two specific nouns or phrases. Beide just means "both" on its own as a pronoun (like "I want both" or "They both work"). Because we are explicitly naming the two things being covered here, we must use zowel de inbraak als de diefstal.
What is the difference between inbraak and diefstal?
Inbraak specifically means a "burglary" or "break-in" (the act of forcing entry), coming from the separable verb inbreken (to break in). Diefstal is the general term for "theft" (stealing property), related to the word dief (thief). An insurance policy (polis) often treats these as two distinct events.
Does the verb dekken only mean "to cover" in a financial or legal sense?
No, it works exactly like the English verb "to cover" in physical senses as well! You use dekken for financial protection here, but you also use it for physically covering something, such as putting a lid on a pot or a blanket over a bed.
Why isn't the verb dekt pushed to the end of the sentence here?