Word
Het is onmogelijk om de inboedel te verhuizen zonder die kast te demonteren.
Meaning
It is impossible to move the household effects without disassembling that cabinet.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Het is onmogelijk om de inboedel te verhuizen zonder die kast te demonteren.
zijn
to be
die
that / those (de-words and plurals)
de kast
the cabinet / the closet
het
it
Questions & Answers about Het is onmogelijk om de inboedel te verhuizen zonder die kast te demonteren.
Why do we use both om ... te and zonder ... te in this sentence?
Both are standard infinitive constructions that simply happen to appear in sequence here. The phrase om ... te connects the action to the adjective onmogelijk (impossible to move), while zonder ... te translates to 'without [doing something]'. In Dutch, you cannot use an '-ing' verb form after a preposition like in English ('without disassembling'); instead, you must use zonder + [object] + te + [infinitive].
I thought verhuizen meant 'to move to a new house'. Can you use it for objects?
Yes! While verhuizen is most commonly used intransitively to mean moving your residence (e.g., ik ga verhuizen), it can also be used transitively with an object. When used this way, it means transporting goods, furniture, or a household to a new location.
What exactly is de inboedel? Is it just a synonym for furniture (de meubels)?
It is broader than just furniture. De inboedel is a collective noun for all the movable items inside a house. It includes furniture, appliances, rugs, and personal belongings. You will often see it used in the context of moving or home insurance (inboedelverzekering).
Is demonteren a separable verb? Why isn't te placed in the middle?