Breakdown of Zij maakte indruk op ons met haar zelfverzekerde houding.
zelfverzekerd
self-confident
indruk maken op
to make an impression on
Questions & Answers about Zij maakte indruk op ons met haar zelfverzekerde houding.
Why do we use op after indruk?
Just like in English, where you make an impression 'on' someone, the fixed Dutch expression is indruk maken op. You will always use op to indicate who the impression was made on.
Why is there an -e added to the end of zelfverzekerde?
Because houding is a de-word (de houding). When an adjective comes directly before a de-word, it almost always gets an -e ending. The possessive pronoun haar in front of it just follows the standard adjective rules.
How does the compound word zelfverzekerde break down?
It is a combination of zelf (self) and verzekerd (the past participle of verzekeren, meaning to assure or insure). Put together, zelfverzekerd literally translates to 'self-assured'.
How could I rewrite this to say 'Her attitude seemed confident' using a verb from the current lesson?
You would use the verb lijken (to appear/seem) and say Haar houding leek zelfverzekerd. Notice that zelfverzekerd loses the -e ending here, because it now comes after the verb instead of directly in front of the noun.
Does houding always translate to 'attitude'?
Not always. Houding can refer to a mental attitude or demeanor, like in this sentence, but it is also the standard Dutch word for your physical 'posture' or 'stance'.
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