Breakdown of Dit plastic is helaas niet afbreekbaar.
zijn
to be
niet
not
dit
this (neuter)
helaas
unfortunately
Questions & Answers about Dit plastic is helaas niet afbreekbaar.
How is the word afbreekbaar formed in this sentence?
It is created by taking the stem of the separable verb afbreken (to break down) and adding the suffix -baar. The suffix -baar works exactly like the English suffix '-able', turning a verb into an adjective that means 'capable of being done'. Therefore, afbreekbaar means 'capable of being broken down', or degradable.
Why do we say dit plastic instead of deze plastic?
The word plastic is a neuter noun in Dutch (het plastic). Because it is a 'het' word, you must use the demonstrative pronoun dit (this) rather than the 'de' word equivalent deze.
Why does the negation niet come after the adverb helaas?
In Dutch word order, the negating word niet generally comes after adverbs that express time, manner, or the speaker's opinion. Since helaas (unfortunately) expresses an opinion about the whole situation, it must be placed before niet.
Can I use afbreekbaar to talk about 'biodegradable' plastics specifically?
Yes! While the strict translation for biodegradable is biologisch afbreekbaar, native speakers often shorten it to just afbreekbaar when the context of the environment or packaging makes it obvious.