Breakdown of Deze bezem veegt echt fijn.
deze
this / these
echt
real; really (genuinely)
fijn
nice / pleasant (comfortable)
vegen
to sweep
de bezem
the broom
Questions & Answers about Deze bezem veegt echt fijn.
A broom cannot actively sweep on its own. Why is the active verb veegt used here?
This is the facilitative middle voice. In Dutch, you can use an active verb with an inanimate subject to describe how an object functions or undergoes an action. It means the broom is nice to use, not that it operates by itself.
Does this grammatical structure require an adverb like fijn?
Yes, the facilitative middle voice only works if you include an adverb of manner. If you just said Deze bezem veegt, it would sound like a magical broom sweeping the floor all by itself. Adding fijn, makkelijk, or goed shifts the meaning to how the object feels to use.
Could I use lekker instead of fijn here?
Absolutely. In spoken Dutch, lekker is very frequently used in this construction to mean that an object is comfortable or pleasant to use. Deze bezem veegt echt lekker is a perfect and highly idiomatic alternative.
Could I translate the English phrase 'is nice to sweep with' literally into Dutch instead?
You can technically say Het is echt fijn om met deze bezem te vegen, but it sounds much clunkier than the English equivalent. Dutch speakers heavily prefer the middle voice construction (Deze bezem veegt echt fijn) because it is concise and natural.
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