Breakdown of De beschikbaarheid van de kandidaat was helemaal niet goed.
zijn
to be
niet
not
goed
good
helemaal
completely
van
from (possession, starting point) / made of
de kandidaat
the candidate
de beschikbaarheid
the availability
Questions & Answers about De beschikbaarheid van de kandidaat was helemaal niet goed.
How is the noun beschikbaarheid formed?
It is built from the adjective beschikbaar (available). By adding the suffix -heid, you turn an adjective into a noun that represents that quality, very similar to adding "-ity" or "-ness" in English.
Why does this word use the -heid suffix rather than -iteit?
The suffix -heid is used for native Dutch adjectives, which includes any adjective ending in the standard Dutch suffix -baar (like beschikbaar). The suffix -iteit is generally reserved for loanwords of Latin or French origin, such as actief becoming activiteit.
How do you make words ending in -heid plural? What is the plural of beschikbaarheid?
Nouns ending in -heid have an irregular plural form: the suffix changes to -heden. Therefore, the plural is beschikbaarheden. This is also why -heid is spelled with a 'd' at the end—even though it's pronounced like a 't' in the singular form, the 'd' sound returns in the plural!
The translation says "not at all", but doesn't helemaal mean "completely"?
Yes, on its own, helemaal means "completely" or "entirely". However, the combination helemaal niet is a fixed phrase in Dutch that translates to "not at all" (literally: "completely not"). It is the standard way to strongly emphasize a negative.
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