Breakdown of Volgens de astroloog is jouw plan tamelijk onverstandig.
zijn
to be
jouw
your
het plan
the plan
volgens
according to
de astroloog
the astrologer
tamelijk
quite / fairly
onverstandig
unwise
Questions & Answers about Volgens de astroloog is jouw plan tamelijk onverstandig.
How does the prefix on- work in the word onverstandig?
The prefix on- is used to create the negative or opposite of an adjective, much like "un-" in English. Here, it attaches to verstandig (wise or sensible) to create onverstandig (unwise). It is a highly productive prefix, meaning you can easily attach it to many adjectives to flip their meaning.
What is the base word behind verstandig?
It comes from the noun het verstand, which means "the mind", "intellect", or "common sense". By adding the suffix -ig, it becomes the adjective verstandig (sensible), and with the prefix on-, it becomes onverstandig (lacking sense).
Why is the verb placed before the subject (is jouw plan instead of jouw plan is)?
Because the sentence begins with the prepositional phrase Volgens de astroloog (According to the astrologer). In Dutch, if you start a main clause with anything other than the subject, the subject and the conjugated verb swap places. This word order rule is called inversion.
What does tamelijk add to the sentence, and what are some synonyms?
Tamelijk means "fairly", "rather", or "quite". It acts as an adverb here to slightly soften the blow of the negative adjective onverstandig. Other adverbs you could use to express a similar degree are vrij or nogal.
Learn Volgens de astroloog is jouw plan tamelijk onverstandig and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free