Breakdown of Het voorval was schokkend bizar en compleet onverklaarbaar.
zijn
to be
en
and
bizar
bizarre
schokkend
shocking / shockingly (upsetting, appalling)
het voorval
the incident
compleet
complete / completely (entire, total)
onverklaarbaar
inexplicable / inexplicably
Questions & Answers about Het voorval was schokkend bizar en compleet onverklaarbaar.
Why don't the words schokkend and compleet get an -e ending here?
Because they are functioning as adverbs of degree, modifying the adjectives bizar and onverklaarbaar. In Dutch, adverbs do not take an -e ending. If they were used as adjectives directly describing a noun (like a shocking incident), they would follow the normal adjective inflection rules.
bizar and onverklaarbaar are adjectives, so why do they also lack an -e ending?
They are used predicatively, which means they come after a linking verb (was) to describe the subject, rather than sitting directly in front of a noun. In Dutch, predicative adjectives never get an -e ending, regardless of the noun's gender or whether it is plural.
What is the difference between voorval and gebeurtenis?
Both translate to 'event' or 'incident', but voorval generally refers to a specific, often unexpected or negative incident. This makes it a great fit for something described as shockingly bizarre. Gebeurtenis is a broader, more neutral term for any general event.
How does the suffix -baar work in onverklaarbaar?
The suffix -baar is the exact equivalent of the English suffix '-able'. It attaches to the stem of a verb (here, verklaren, meaning 'to explain') to mean 'capable of being done'. With the negative prefix on-, onverklaarbaar literally means 'un-explain-able'.
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