Breakdown of Ik vind die beslissing heel kinderachtig.
ik
I
heel
very
die
that / those (de-words and plurals)
de beslissing
the decision
vinden
to think / consider (hold an opinion)
kinderachtig
childish
Questions & Answers about Ik vind die beslissing heel kinderachtig.
Since this lesson is about -achtig, is there a difference between kinderachtig and kinderlijk?
Yes, there is a clear difference in nuance, just like in English. Kinderachtig means "childish" and almost always has a negative tone (meaning immature or silly), which perfectly fits a bad beslissing. Kinderlijk, on the other hand, means "childlike" and is usually neutral or positive, emphasizing innocence or simplicity (e.g., kinderlijke vreugde, childlike joy).
Why doesn't kinderachtig get an -e at the end here?
Because it is not placed directly in front of the noun. In this sentence, kinderachtig is used as a predicative adjective—it describes die beslissing but is separated from it by the verb structure. If you placed it directly before the noun, it would get the -e ending: een kinderachtige beslissing (a childish decision).
Could I say "Ik denk dat die beslissing heel kinderachtig is" instead?
Yes, grammatically that works perfectly. However, Dutch speakers heavily prefer using vinden (to find / to consider) over denken (to think) when expressing a personal opinion, taste, or judgment about something, like calling a decision childish.
The noun for child is kind. Why is the adjective formed with kinder- rather than kind-?
When adding suffixes like -achtig to nouns, Dutch often uses the plural stem if the plural is irregular. Since the plural of kind is kinderen, the stem becomes kinder-, resulting in kinderachtig. You see this same stem in compound words like kinderbijslag (child benefit) or kinderwagen (stroller).
I've also learned the word besluit for "decision". Could I use that here instead of beslissing?
Yes, you can! Beslissing and besluit are mostly interchangeable. Beslissing sometimes places slightly more emphasis on the act of choosing between options, while besluit can feel a bit more formal or focus on the final outcome. In everyday sentences like this, both work perfectly.
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