Breakdown of De vakbond eist een hoger salaris voor de arbeiders.
een
a/an
voor
for (on behalf of)
hoog
high / tall
het salaris
the salary
de arbeider
the worker
eisen
to demand
de vakbond
the trade union
Questions & Answers about De vakbond eist een hoger salaris voor de arbeiders.
Why is it hoger and not hogere?
Salaris is a neuter (het) word. When a het-word follows the indefinite article een, the adjective modifying it does not get an -e at the end. Here, we are using the comparative form of hoog (high), which is hoger. Because of the rule, it remains hoger without the extra -e. If we used the definite article, it would be het hogere salaris.
What is the exact nuance of eist compared to just asking for a raise?
Eisen means to demand or require something, usually forcefully or as a hard condition. It is much stronger than vragen (to ask) or verzoeken (to request). In the context of a vakbond (trade union), it implies that industrial action, like a strike, might follow if the demand is not met.
Could I say ...eist een hoger salaris van de arbeiders instead of voor?
You could, but it changes the meaning completely! The phrase iets eisen van iemand means to demand something from someone (so the workers would have to pay the salary). Using voor (for) means the union is demanding the higher salary on behalf of or for the benefit of the workers.
Why does arbeiders get an -s plural instead of -en?
Dutch nouns ending in an unstressed -er, -el, -en, or -em almost always take an -s to form the plural. Adding an extra -en syllable would make the word awkward to pronounce. Therefore, arbeider becomes arbeiders, just like bakker becomes bakkers.
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