Word
Het geografische gebied is de op één na grootste regio, maar de welvaart is laag.
Meaning
The geographical area is the second largest region, but prosperity is low.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Het geografische gebied is de op één na grootste regio, maar de welvaart is laag.
zijn
to be
groot
big
maar
but
één
one
Questions & Answers about Het geografische gebied is de op één na grootste regio, maar de welvaart is laag.
How exactly does op één na grootste mean 'second largest'?
The Dutch phrase literally translates to 'the largest, except for one' or 'the largest, after one'. The structure for ranking superlatives is always op + [cardinal number] + na + [superlative]. For example, to say 'third largest', you would change the number to two: de op twee na grootste.
Why are there accent marks on één?
The acute accents show that it is the number one (één) rather than the indefinite article a/an (een). Since this ranked superlative structure relies on counting exactly how many items rank higher, you are using the cardinal number, which often takes accents for clarity.
Why does the article switch to de before op één na grootste regio when the sentence starts with Het geografische gebied?
The definite article must match the specific noun it belongs to. Gebied is a neuter word, so it takes het. However, the noun it is being equated to later in the sentence is regio, which is a de-word. The complex adjective phrase op één na grootste simply sits between de and regio.
Where does the word welvaart come from?