Breakdown of Afgezien van normale slijtage vinden wij de staat van de vloer aanvaardbaar.
wij
we
van
from (possession, starting point) / made of
normaal
normally / normal
vinden
to think / consider (hold an opinion)
Questions & Answers about Afgezien van normale slijtage vinden wij de staat van de vloer aanvaardbaar.
How does afgezien van work in this sentence?
Afgezien van translates to "apart from" or "except for". It sets aside an exception (normale slijtage) before making the main statement. While it comes from the past participle of the separable verb afzien van (to renounce or abandon), it functions here as a fixed complex preposition.
Why is the verb vinden placed before the subject wij?
The entire phrase Afgezien van normale slijtage occupies the first grammatical position in the sentence. Because Dutch is a V2 (verb-second) language, the main verb vinden must come next, forcing the subject wij into the third position, immediately following the verb.
The English translation says "wear and tear". Why is there only one word (slijtage) in Dutch?
Dutch doesn't use a paired phrase like "wear and tear". The single noun slijtage covers the entire concept of physical wear, abrasion, or deterioration over time. Combined with normale, it is the standard way to express "normal wear and tear" in contexts like renting an apartment.
How is the word aanvaardbaar constructed?
It is built from the formal verb aanvaarden (to accept) and the suffix -baar, which works exactly like the English suffix "-able". Therefore, aanvaardbaar directly translates to "acceptable".