Breakdown of Deze kandelaar van porselein is tamelijk eigenaardig, maar prachtig.
zijn
to be
maar
but
deze
this / these
van
from (possession, starting point) / made of
Questions & Answers about Deze kandelaar van porselein is tamelijk eigenaardig, maar prachtig.
How would I change "Deze kandelaar" to mean "Some candlesticks" using the grammar from this lesson?
You would replace the demonstrative with wat (meaning "some" or "a few") and make the noun plural. The subject of the sentence becomes Wat kandelaren van porselein (Some porcelain candlesticks). Remember that wat is commonly used as an indefinite determiner for plural count nouns like kandelaren!
Why does the sentence use van porselein instead of an adjective for the material?
Both options are perfectly natural in Dutch. You can express a material by using van plus the noun (like kandelaar van porselein) or by using a material adjective, which usually ends in -en (like porseleinen kandelaar). They mean exactly the same thing.
I recognize the word eigen in eigenaardig. How does the word get its meaning of "peculiar"?
It is a compound of eigen (own) and a derivative of aard (nature or character). Literally, it means something has "its own nature" or is in a category of its own. Over time, eigenaardig became the standard word for peculiar, quirky, or slightly strange.
Could I use words like best or nogal instead of tamelijk here?