Breakdown of Ik hou helemaal niet van alcohol.
ik
I
niet
not
houden van
to love / to like
helemaal
completely
Questions & Answers about Ik hou helemaal niet van alcohol.
How would I describe a drink that doesn't contain alcohol using the suffixes from this lesson?
You can add the suffix -vrij (free from) to the noun to create the adjective alcoholvrij (alcohol-free). If a drink just has very little alcohol, you can use -arm (poor in) to make alcoholarm (low-alcohol).
Why is the verb spelled hou without a 'd' at the end?
For the first person singular (ik), the verb houden can be written as both houd and hou. Dropping the 'd' is extremely common in everyday speech and informal writing.
I thought you use lekker vinden to say you like food or drinks. Why use houden van here?
You are right that lekker vinden is the standard way to say you enjoy the taste of a food or drink. Here, houden van is used because the speaker is talking about the general concept or lifestyle habit of drinking alcohol, rather than just judging its flavor.
How does helemaal change the meaning of the negation?
On its own, helemaal means completely or entirely. When placed directly before niet, it creates the fixed phrase helemaal niet, which is the standard way to express 'not at all' in Dutch.