Breakdown of Deze schaar knipt erg stroef.
erg
very / really
deze
this / these
knippen
to cut (with scissors)
de schaar
the scissors
Questions & Answers about Deze schaar knipt erg stroef.
Why does the Dutch sentence use the singular Deze schaar knipt when the English translation uses the plural 'These scissors cut'?
In Dutch, schaar is a singular noun, so it takes the singular pronoun Deze and the singular verb form knipt. English treats scissors as a plural noun, which is a common difference to watch out for with tools or items made of two parts like pants or glasses.
Since the scissors aren't cutting by themselves, why do we use the active verb knipt here?
This is an example of the facilitive middle voice. Even though a person is physically doing the cutting, the sentence focuses on the scissors and their physical qualities. By pairing the active verb knipt with the adverb stroef, you are describing how the object handles when it is being used.
What exactly does the word stroef mean, and how else can it be used?
Stroef refers to something that has a lot of friction, moves stiffly, or lacks smoothness. For a pair of scissors, it means the blades are tight and hard to squeeze together. You will also often see it used metaphorically for a process or interaction that does not go smoothly, such as een stroef gesprek (a strained or stiff conversation).