Breakdown of Waarom gedraag jij je zo kinderachtig?
jij
you
waarom
why
zo
so (to such a degree)
zich gedragen
to behave
kinderachtig
childish
Questions & Answers about Waarom gedraag jij je zo kinderachtig?
How does the suffix -achtig form the word kinderachtig?
The suffix -achtig indicates similarity, meaning 'like' or 'resembling'. It is attached to the root kind (child). The -er- in the middle is a linking sound, identical to how the plural kinderen is formed. Together, they create the adjective for 'childish'.
The English translation uses the adverb 'childishly'. Why doesn't kinderachtig have a special adverb ending?
In Dutch, the base form of an adjective is almost always used as an adverb without any changes. Unlike English, which adds '-ly' to create an adverb, Dutch simply uses the exact same word for both 'childish' and 'childishly'.
Why is the verb gedraag missing its -t ending here?
When the subject jij or je (you) comes directly after the verb, which happens here because of the question word order, the verb drops its -t ending. It is jij gedraagt in a normal sentence, but it becomes gedraag jij in a question.
Why are the words jij and je placed right next to each other?
The verb zich gedragen (to behave) is a reflexive verb, so you must always include a reflexive pronoun. In this sentence, jij is the subject (you) and je is the reflexive pronoun (yourself).
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