Breakdown of Hij beluistert het interview en benut de informatie.
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
en
and
de informatie
the information
het interview
the interview
beluisteren
to listen to
benutten
to utilize
Questions & Answers about Hij beluistert het interview en benut de informatie.
Why use beluistert het interview instead of luistert naar het interview?
The prefix be- turns the verb luisteren (which needs the preposition naar) into the transitive verb beluisteren. This allows it to take a direct object directly without a preposition. While both mean listening to something, beluisteren is often used for listening to something carefully, analytically, or from start to finish, like a recording, podcast, or interview.
Does the verb benut (from benutten) also come from an intransitive verb like beluisteren does?
Not exactly. While be- often makes intransitive verbs transitive, it can also be added to nouns or adjectives to turn them into transitive verbs. Here, it is added to the noun nut (use or benefit) to create benutten (to utilize or take advantage of). Another common way to say this would be hij maakt gebruik van de informatie, but benut achieves this with a single transitive verb.
Why is the conjugation benut and not benutt for the hij form?
The infinitive is benutten, making the stem benut. For the hij (he) form in the present tense, the general rule is to take the stem and add a -t. However, Dutch spelling rules dictate that native words never end in a double identical consonant. Therefore, benut + t is simply spelled as benut.
Could I replace benut with gebruikt here?
Yes, gebruikt (uses) is a perfectly valid synonym and is also a transitive verb. However, benutten carries a slightly stronger nuance of taking full advantage of something or putting it to a highly profitable or effective use, which fits perfectly with processing and applying information from an interview.
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