Breakdown of De aannemer is de deur aan het verbreden.
zijn
to be
de deur
the door
de aannemer
the contractor
verbreden
to widen
Questions & Answers about De aannemer is de deur aan het verbreden.
How does the prefix ver- change the meaning of the word breed in this sentence?
The verb verbreden comes from the adjective breed, which means "wide" or "broad". Adding the prefix ver- and the verb ending -en to an adjective creates a verb that indicates a change of state. In this case, it turns "wide" into the action "to make wider" or "to widen".
Why does the root adjective breed have two E's, but verbreden only has one?
This is due to the Dutch spelling rules for open and closed syllables. In the adjective breed, the syllable ends in a consonant (a closed syllable), so it needs a double E to keep the long vowel sound. In the verb verbreden, the syllables are divided as ver-bre-den. Because the bre- syllable ends in a vowel (an open syllable), a single E naturally produces the long vowel sound.
Why is the sentence using is ... aan het instead of just saying De aannemer verbreedt de deur?
The construction zijn aan het + infinitive is the Dutch continuous tense. It is used to emphasize that an action is currently in progress. While verbreedt (widens) is grammatically correct, using is ... aan het verbreden stresses that the contractor is physically busy widening the door at this very moment.
Can verbreden only be used for physical objects like a door?
No, state-change verbs with the ver- prefix are very versatile and are often used figuratively. For example, you can broaden your knowledge (je kennis verbreden) or your horizons (je horizon verbreden). It can also be used reflexively when something widens on its own, like a river (de rivier verbreedt zich).
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