Word
Die opmerking was erg ongevoelig.
Meaning
That remark was very insensitive.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Die opmerking was erg ongevoelig.
zijn
to be
erg
very / really
die
that / those (de-words and plurals)
de opmerking
the remark
Questions & Answers about Die opmerking was erg ongevoelig.
How is the word ongevoelig formed?
It uses the negative prefix on- (like English un- or in-). The base is the noun gevoel (feeling), which becomes the adjective gevoelig (sensitive) with the suffix -ig. Adding on- makes it ongevoelig (insensitive).
Could I use heel instead of erg in this sentence?
Yes, heel ongevoelig is also perfectly fine. Both erg and heel translate to very. However, erg can sometimes carry a slightly stronger or more negative emotional weight, which fits well with a critical sentence like this.
Why is there no -e at the end of ongevoelig?
Adjectives only get an -e ending when they are placed directly in front of a noun. Here, ongevoelig comes after the verb was to describe the subject, so it stays in its basic, uninflected form. If you changed the sentence structure, it would get the ending: een ongevoelige opmerking.
What is the difference between opmerking and commentaar?
An opmerking is a single, specific remark or comment, which makes sense here since it refers to one thing someone said. Commentaar refers to general feedback, criticism, or commentary, and is used as an uncountable noun (so you would not say een commentaar).