Breakdown of De onuitgesproken boodschap was duidelijk door haar lichaamstaal.
zijn
to be
haar
her
door
through
duidelijk
clear (obvious, comprehensible)
de boodschap
the message (to pass on); the errand
onuitgesproken
unspoken
de lichaamstaal
the body language
Questions & Answers about De onuitgesproken boodschap was duidelijk door haar lichaamstaal.
How is the adjective onuitgesproken formed, and why doesn't it have an -e ending?
It is built from the past participle of the separable verb uitspreken (to express). Adding the prefix on- gives us onuitgesproken (unspoken). Even though it modifies a de word (de boodschap), it does not get an extra -e ending. In Dutch, adjectives that are past participles ending in -en never take the -e ending.
This lesson focuses on niet zozeer ... als wel. How could we use that structure to say the message was clear 'not so much through her words, but rather through her body language'?
Why is there an 's' in the middle of the word lichaamstaal?
This is a tussen-s (connecting 's'). When joining two nouns to form a compound noun—here, lichaam (body) and taal (language)—an 's' is often inserted to make the pronunciation smoother. There is no foolproof rule for when a connecting 's' is required, so it is best to memorize these compound words as single units.
Could I use the preposition uit instead of door in this sentence?
Yes, you could say uit haar lichaamstaal (from her body language), which is also correct and very natural in Dutch. Using door simply puts slightly more emphasis on the means or cause, showing that the message was made clear specifically by means of her body language.
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