Breakdown of De horoscoop beweert dat deze man vrij onbetrouwbaar is.
zijn
to be
de man
the man
deze
this / these
dat
that (conjunction)
beweren
to claim
de horoscoop
the horoscope
vrij
quite / fairly (degree adverb)
onbetrouwbaar
unreliable
Questions & Answers about De horoscoop beweert dat deze man vrij onbetrouwbaar is.
How does the prefix on- change the word betrouwbaar?
The prefix on- works exactly like the English prefix un-, turning the adjective into its negative opposite. The base word betrouwbaar means reliable, so adding on- creates onbetrouwbaar (unreliable). This is a highly productive prefix in Dutch that you can attach to many adjectives and participles.
Doesn't vrij mean free? Why is it translated as quite?
You are right that vrij usually means free, such as in vrije tijd (free time). However, when it is used as an adverb right before an adjective like onbetrouwbaar, it means quite or rather. It softens the impact of the negative adjective slightly.
Why is the verb is at the very end of the sentence?
The word dat introduces a subordinate clause (dat deze man vrij onbetrouwbaar is). As a B2 learner, you might recall that in Dutch subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb is always pushed to the very end.
What is the root of the verb beweert here?
It comes from the verb beweren, which means to claim, to assert, or to allege. Just like in English, it is very commonly followed by a dat clause to explain exactly what is being claimed.
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