Breakdown of De operatie is volkomen pijnloos.
zijn
to be
volkomen
completely / absolutely (utterly, perfectly)
de operatie
the operation / the surgery
pijnloos
painless
Questions & Answers about De operatie is volkomen pijnloos.
How exactly does the suffix -loos work in pijnloos?
The suffix -loos is the exact equivalent of the English suffix '-less'. It is added to a noun to form an adjective meaning 'without that thing'. Here, it attaches directly to pijn (pain) to create pijnloos (painless).
Could I use helemaal instead of volkomen for 'completely'?
Yes, helemaal is grammatically correct and very common. However, volkomen (meaning perfect, absolute, or total) is frequently used with adjectives describing an absolute state, like being painless or harmless. It makes the statement sound slightly more formal and emphatic.
Do I ever need to add linking letters before the -loos suffix?
Not for this word, as loos attaches directly to pijn. However, be aware that some other Dutch nouns require a linking -e- or -s- before -loos (for example, smakeloos for tasteless), while many others like pijnloos or draadloos (wireless) do not.
Is there a rule to remember that operatie takes the article de?
Yes! A very reliable rule in Dutch is that all nouns ending in -tie (such as operatie, informatie, and situatie) are common gender nouns, meaning they always take the definite article de.
Learn De operatie is volkomen pijnloos and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free