Word
Dergelijke schilderijen worden zelden zonder bewijs getaxeerd.
Meaning
Such paintings are rarely appraised without proof.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Dergelijke schilderijen worden zelden zonder bewijs getaxeerd.
het schilderij
the painting
worden
to become
zelden
rarely
het bewijs
the evidence
Questions & Answers about Dergelijke schilderijen worden zelden zonder bewijs getaxeerd.
Why is it dergelijke instead of just dergelijk?
The word dergelijk (such) functions like an adjective here, modifying schilderijen. Because schilderijen is plural, the determiner gets an -e ending. You would only use the uninflected dergelijk before a singular het-word without a definite article (for example, een dergelijk schilderij).
The English translation says "are... appraised". Why does the Dutch sentence use worden instead of zijn?
This sentence uses the passive voice to describe a general procedure or ongoing action. In Dutch, the present passive uses worden plus a past participle. If you used zijn (zijn getaxeerd), it would change the meaning to the present perfect passive, meaning the paintings "have been appraised" (the action is already completely finished).
Why does the past participle getaxeerd end in a -d rather than a -t?
You determine the ending by looking at the stem of the infinitive verb, taxeren. Removing -en leaves the stem taxeer, which ends in r. Because r is not one of the voiceless consonants in the 't kofschip memory rule, the past participle gets a -d.
Could we put the adverb zelden at the end of the sentence?