Breakdown of De speelplaats hier is nogal gevaarlijk.
zijn
to be
hier
here
gevaarlijk
dangerous
nogal
quite / rather (considerably, more than average)
de speelplaats
the playground
Questions & Answers about De speelplaats hier is nogal gevaarlijk.
Why is nogal used here instead of heel or erg?
The word nogal means 'rather' or 'quite'. It is an adverb of moderate degree, meaning it makes the adjective stronger than just saying the playground is dangerous, but not as extreme as using heel (very) or erg (extremely). It gives the sentence a slightly cautious tone.
Could I use best or vrij instead of nogal in this sentence?
Yes, but the nuance changes slightly. Vrij gevaarlijk (fairly dangerous) sounds a bit more objective or neutral. Best gevaarlijk (quite dangerous) is often used when a situation exceeds your expectations, like if you didn't expect it to be unsafe. Nogal gevaarlijk sits in the middle and often carries a slightly negative or concerned undertone.
Why does hier come right after De speelplaats?
In Dutch, an adverb of place like hier (here) can directly follow a noun to specify which one you mean, acting almost like an adjective. De speelplaats hier simply means 'The playground here'. If you put hier at the end of the sentence, it would slightly shift the focus to state where the danger is located.
What is the function of the -lijk ending in gevaarlijk?
The suffix -lijk is commonly used in Dutch to turn a noun into an adjective. Here, it turns the noun gevaar (danger) into the adjective gevaarlijk (dangerous). Even though it looks a bit like the English adverb ending '-ly', it creates an adjective here. Also remember that the -lijk part is pronounced as 'luk' with a short, relaxed 'uh' sound.
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