Learn Dutch: De onuitgesproken boodschap was duidelijk door haar lichaamstaal. - The unspoken message was clear through her body language.

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'?

You could structure it like this: De boodschap was niet zozeer duidelijk door haar woorden, als wel door haar lichaamstaal. This is a perfect way to highlight the contrast between the expected medium (her words) and the actual medium (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?