Breakdown of De astronoom die het zonnestelsel bestudeert, raadpleegde de database.
die
who / that (relative pronoun)
de database
the database
raadplegen
to consult (seek advice or information)
bestuderen
to study (examine closely)
de astronoom
the astronomer
het zonnestelsel
the solar system
Questions & Answers about De astronoom die het zonnestelsel bestudeert, raadpleegde de database.
Why is the past tense of raadplegen written as one word (raadpleegde) instead of separating like a split verb (pleegde raad)?
Raadplegen (to consult) is an inseparable back-formation. It was formed backwards from the noun raadpleging (consultation) rather than by gluing together the noun raad and the verb plegen. Because it's not a true compound verb, it doesn't separate. The past tense is simply raadpleegde, and its past participle is geraadpleegd (never raadgepleegd).
The verb plegen is normally a strong verb. Why does raadplegen get the regular weak ending -de here?
This is a key feature of back-formations! Even if they end in a verb that is normally strong, verbs created through back-formation almost always behave as weak (regular) verbs. Therefore, it takes the standard -de past tense ending to become raadpleegde, rather than using a strong past tense form.
Could I use studeert instead of bestudeert for studying the solar system?
No, you need bestuderen here. In Dutch, studeren is generally intransitive and refers to the general act of being a student or doing a degree (like studying at university). Bestuderen is transitive, meaning it requires a direct object, and is used when you closely examine, analyze, or investigate a specific thing, like het zonnestelsel.
Why does zonnestelsel have an -en- in the middle?
When forming compound nouns in Dutch, you often need a linking sound. The rule is that if the first part of the compound (zon) only has a plural form ending in -en (zonnen), you use -en- as the glue to attach it to the second word (stelsel).
Learn De astronoom die het zonnestelsel bestudeert, raadpleegde de database and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free