Word
De nieuwe zonnebrand smeert heel makkelijk uit.
Meaning
The new sunscreen spreads very easily.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of De nieuwe zonnebrand smeert heel makkelijk uit.
heel
very
nieuw
new
makkelijk
easy
de zonnebrand
the sunscreen
Questions & Answers about De nieuwe zonnebrand smeert heel makkelijk uit.
Usually, a person applies sunscreen. Why is zonnebrand the subject of the active verb uitsmeren here?
This is the 'facilitive middle voice' featured in this lesson. By pairing the active verb uitsmeren (to spread out / rub in) with an adverb of manner (heel makkelijk), we describe an inherent quality of the object itself. It translates naturally as 'spreads very easily,' focusing on the lotion's texture rather than the person rubbing it in.
How does the meaning change if I use the passive voice: De zonnebrand wordt heel makkelijk uitgesmeerd?
The passive version is grammatically correct and means exactly the same thing. However, the passive voice puts a slight emphasis on the action being performed on the sunscreen by someone, whereas the middle-voice construction (smeert uit) puts all the focus on the product's own qualities and how it feels to use it.
Why is the word uit separated and placed at the very end of the sentence?
This is a quick reminder about separable verbs. The full infinitive verb here is uitsmeren. Because it is a separable verb, the core verb (smeren) takes the second position in a standard present-tense main clause, and its prefix (uit) gets kicked to the end of the clause.
I thought zonnebrand meant 'sunburn'. Can it mean both?