Breakdown of Hij fungeert als coach, maar hij praat zoals een dictator.
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
een
a/an
maar
but
praten
to talk
als
as (like / conjunction)
zoals
such as, like
fungeren
to function / to act (serve as)
de coach
the coach
de dictator
the dictator
Questions & Answers about Hij fungeert als coach, maar hij praat zoals een dictator.
Why do we use als for the coach but zoals for the dictator?
This sentence perfectly illustrates the difference between roles and comparisons. We use als when someone actually fulfills that role or capacity (he is genuinely acting as the coach). We use zoals for a comparison to show similarity (he is not actually a dictator, but he talks in the manner of one).
Could I say praat als een dictator instead of using zoals?
Yes. In casual spoken Dutch, it is very common to use als for comparisons as well. However, this lesson highlights zoals because it exclusively means 'like' or 'in the manner of'. Using zoals here creates a sharp, unambiguous contrast with his actual role as the coach.
Why is there no article before coach, but there is an een before dictator?
When stating someone's profession, role, or function, Dutch usually drops the indefinite article (een), which is why it is just als coach. Because he isn't actually a dictator—it is just a comparison to a hypothetical person—the article een is required before dictator.
Is the verb fungeren common, or is it just a formal way to say 'to be'?
Fungeren specifically means 'to function' or 'to act as'. It is slightly formal but very common in professional contexts, official writing, or the news. It is almost always paired with als (fungeren als) to describe the capacity in which a person or object is being used.
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