Breakdown of We moeten de hoogte controleren vanwege de krapte in de vrachtwagen.
in
in
moeten
to have to, must
controleren
to check
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
de vrachtwagen
the truck
vanwege
because of / due to (reason)
de krapte
the shortage / the tightness
de hoogte
the height
Questions & Answers about We moeten de hoogte controleren vanwege de krapte in de vrachtwagen.
Does the adjective hoog change its vowels when the -te suffix is added to form hoogte?
Unlike lang which becomes lengte, hoog doesn't change its vowels. You simply add -te to the adjective. Also, remember that all nouns formed this way indicating physical dimensions or properties are de words, so it is always de hoogte.
The translation says 'limited space'. What is the literal meaning of krapte and what adjective does it come from?
Krapte comes from the adjective krap, which means tight, cramped, or scarce. By adding the -te suffix, it becomes a noun meaning tightness or shortage. In the context of a truck, it naturally translates to limited space or cramped conditions.
Could I use omdat instead of vanwege in this sentence?
Not directly. Vanwege means 'because of' or 'due to' and is a preposition, so it must be followed by a noun phrase like de krapte. Omdat means 'because' and is a conjunction that requires a full clause with a subject and a verb (for example: ... omdat het krap is in de vrachtwagen).
Why doesn't the infinitive controleren go at the very end of the sentence?
In Dutch, prepositional phrases starting with words like vanwege, in, or met are often placed after the verbs at the end of the sentence. You could put the phrase before the verb (... vanwege de krapte controleren), but placing it after controleren is usually preferred because it makes the sentence flow better and keeps the verb closer to its object.
Is controleren a false friend compared to the English word 'control'?
Yes! In Dutch, controleren almost always means to check, inspect, or verify. If you want to say 'to control' in the sense of having power over something or steering it, you would use verbs like beheersen, besturen, or onder controle houden.
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