Breakdown of De jongen schaakt niet meer fanatiek.
de jongen
the boy
schaken
to play chess
niet meer
not anymore / no longer
fanatiek
fanatical / keen
Questions & Answers about De jongen schaakt niet meer fanatiek.
Why do we use niet meer here instead of geen ... meer?
Where is the word for "play" in this sentence?
In Dutch, "to play chess" is just one verb: schaken. So De jongen schaakt literally means "The boy chesses". You never add a separate verb for "play" when talking about playing chess in Dutch.
Why does niet meer come before fanatiek?
When niet or niet meer negates a specific adjective or adverb, it is placed directly in front of that word. By putting niet meer right before fanatiek (fanatically), the sentence highlights exactly what has stopped: he still plays chess, but he just doesn't do it fanatically anymore.
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