Breakdown of Die achterwand, die krijgen we een stuk makkelijker vast.
een
a/an
wij
we
het stuk
the piece
die
that / those (de-words and plurals)
makkelijk
easy
krijgen
to get (receive)
vast
tight, secure (fastened)
de achterwand
the back panel
Questions & Answers about Die achterwand, die krijgen we een stuk makkelijker vast.
Why use krijgen here instead of a verb like maken or bevestigen?
In this structure, krijgen followed by an object (die) and a state (vast) expresses that a result is achieved through some effort. It translates well to English phrases like getting something done or managing to do something. It implies that securing the panel takes some work, but it will be successfully achieved.
Why is the sentence structured as Die achterwand, die... instead of just starting with Die achterwand krijgen we...?
This is a common spoken Dutch habit called left-dislocation. You state the topic first (Die achterwand), pause slightly, and then refer back to it with a pronoun (die) to start the actual sentence. It puts heavy emphasis on the back panel compared to other things you might be assembling.
Why is the verb inverted to krijgen we?
The second die acts as the direct object at the very beginning of the main clause. Because a word other than the subject occupies the first position, the verb (krijgen) must come second, pushing the subject (we) to the third position.
Doesn't een stuk literally mean a piece? How does it mean a lot here?
Yes, literally it means a piece, but when placed before a comparative adjective like makkelijker (easier), een stuk is used idiomatically to mean a lot or a great deal. You will frequently hear phrases like een stuk beter (a lot better) or een stuk sneller (a lot faster).
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