Breakdown of De situatie is volkomen onberekenbaar.
zijn
to be
de situatie
the situation
volkomen
completely / absolutely (utterly, perfectly)
onberekenbaar
unpredictable (incalculable)
Questions & Answers about De situatie is volkomen onberekenbaar.
Could I use onvoorspelbaar instead of onberekenbaar here?
Yes. While they both translate to "unpredictable", onvoorspelbaar comes from voorspellen (to predict). Onberekenbaar, used here, literally means "incalculable" (from berekenen, to calculate). It implies the variables are so erratic that you can't even logically figure them out.
What is the difference between volkomen and helemaal?
Both mean "completely" or "totally." Volkomen is slightly more formal and often sounds a bit more absolute or emphatic. It frequently pairs with strong adjectives, as seen here in volkomen onberekenbaar, or in fixed phrases like volkomen belachelijk (completely ridiculous) and volkomen normaal (completely normal).
How does the suffix -baar work in onberekenbaar?
It works exactly like "-able" in English. It attaches to the stem of the verb berekenen (to calculate) to make berekenbaar (calculable). Adding the negative prefix on- gives us "uncalculable" or "unpredictable". You will see -baar attached to many Dutch verbs to form adjectives describing capability.
Since this lesson is about dan weer ... dan weer, how would I use that structure to describe this situation?
Because the situation is onberekenbaar, it's the perfect context to use dan weer ... dan weer (now this, then that) to describe the erratic fluctuation. For example, you could follow this sentence up with: Dan weer is het rustig, dan weer is er chaos (Sometimes it is quiet, sometimes there is chaos).
Learn De situatie is volkomen onberekenbaar 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