Learn Dutch: Zijn je wenkbrauwen erg pijnlijk na de behandeling? - Are your eyebrows very painful after the treatment?

You would replace the subject je wenkbrauwen with the pronoun ze, and move the full noun phrase to the very end of the sentence as an afterthought or clarification: Zijn ze erg pijnlijk na de behandeling, je wenkbrauwen?

Is pijnlijk only used for physical pain?

No, just like the English word 'painful', pijnlijk is frequently used to describe socially awkward, sensitive, or embarrassing situations. For example, you might hear an uncomfortable silence described as een pijnlijke stilte.

Why is na de behandeling placed at the very end? Doesn't time usually come earlier in a Dutch sentence?

While the general rule is to place time expressions early in the middle part of the sentence, prepositional phrases (like na de behandeling) can often be pushed to the very end, after the main adjective or final verbs. This 'post-field' placement helps keep the core of the sentence (Zijn je wenkbrauwen erg pijnlijk) clear and uncluttered.

Where does the word wenkbrauwen come from?

The singular is de wenkbrauw. It historically comes from a combination of the verb wenken (to beckon, signal, or hint) and brauw (an old Germanic word for ridge or edge). It makes perfect sense when you consider how much we use our eyebrows to signal emotions!