Word
De situatie is volkomen onberekenbaar.
Meaning
The situation is completely unpredictable.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
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?