Breakdown of Zij laten ons een koolhydraatarme maaltijd koken.
een
a/an
zij
they
koken
to cook
ons
us (object)
laten
to let (laten we ... = let's ...)
de maaltijd
the meal
koolhydraatarm
low-carb
Questions & Answers about Zij laten ons een koolhydraatarme maaltijd koken.
How does the suffix -arm work in koolhydraatarme?
The suffix -arm translates literally to 'poor,' but in compound adjectives it means 'low in' or 'poor in' a specific substance. Combined with koolhydraat (carbohydrate), it forms koolhydraatarm, meaning 'low-carb.' It functions similarly to -vrij (free of) and -rijk (rich in).
Why is the noun singular in koolhydraatarm when in English we usually say 'low in carbohydrates'?
When forming compound adjectives with suffixes like -arm, -vrij, or -rijk, Dutch almost always uses the singular form of the noun. Even though a meal contains multiple carbohydrates, the compound is strictly koolhydraatarm, never koolhydratenarm.
Why is an -e added to the end to make it koolhydraatarme?
Adjectives get an -e ending when placed before a noun, with one major exception: het-words preceded by an indefinite article (like een) do not get the -e. Because maaltijd is a de-word, the adjective must take the -e ending, resulting in een koolhydraatarme maaltijd.
Why does koken appear at the very end of the sentence?
This sentence uses laten (to let/allow) as an auxiliary verb. Just like with modal verbs, the conjugated verb (laten) sits in the normal second position of the main clause, but it pushes the main infinitive verb (koken) to the very end of the sentence.
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