Breakdown of Dit bondgenootschap is belangrijk voor de veiligheid.
zijn
to be
dit
this (neuter)
belangrijk
important
voor
for (on behalf of)
Questions & Answers about Dit bondgenootschap is belangrijk voor de veiligheid.
How does the word bondgenootschap break down, and how does the -schap suffix work here?
The word is built from bondgenoot (ally), which itself combines bond (league or union) and genoot (companion). Adding the suffix -schap turns the noun for a person into an abstract noun representing their collective relationship or state, giving us the word for alliance.
Why do we use dit with bondgenootschap? Are all nouns ending in -schap neuter?
We use dit because bondgenootschap is a neuter noun (a het-word). However, not all -schap words are neuter. Words describing a role or collective (like het moederschap or het lidmaatschap) are usually neuter. But some very common ones are de-words, such as de vriendschap (friendship) and de wetenschap (science).
Both bondgenootschap and veiligheid are abstract nouns. What is the main difference between using the -schap and -heid suffixes?
They generally attach to different parts of speech. The -schap suffix usually attaches to a noun (like bondgenoot) to form a collective, state, or role. The -heid suffix attaches to an adjective (like veilig, meaning safe) to turn that descriptive quality into a noun (safety).