Breakdown of De burgers kregen inspraak bij dat project.
het project
the project
dat
that (het-words)
bij
at / near / by
krijgen
to get (receive)
de burger
the citizen
de inspraak
the public participation
Questions & Answers about De burgers kregen inspraak bij dat project.
Is inspraak krijgen a function verb structure?
Yes! It pairs the abstract noun inspraak (input or participation) with the light verb kregen (got). This is a formal way to express an action. You will also frequently see inspraak hebben (to have a say) and inspraak geven (to give a say).
Why doesn't inspraak have an article like een in front of it?
In function verb structures, abstract nouns are often used without an article. You are referring to the general concept of participation. Adding een would sound unnatural because inspraak is treated as uncountable here.
The English translation says 'in that project', so why does the Dutch sentence use bij instead of in?
The preposition bij is standard when you have inspraak (a say) regarding a specific topic, decision, or project. While English uses 'in', Dutch uses bij to indicate involvement or connection to the project.
How would I express this without using a function verb structure?
You could use a regular verb like meebeslissen (to help decide) or meespreken (to participate in the discussion). However, inspraak krijgen is the standard, slightly more formal phrasing used in news and government contexts.
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