Breakdown of Afgezien van de slijtage heeft het pand gebrek aan onderhoud.
afgezien van
apart from
de slijtage
the wear and tear
gebrek hebben aan
to lack
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Questions & Answers about Afgezien van de slijtage heeft het pand gebrek aan onderhoud.
Why is the verb heeft placed before the subject het pand?
The phrase afgezien van de slijtage acts as the first element in the sentence. Because Dutch follows the V2 (verb-second) rule, the conjugated verb (heeft) must immediately follow this opening phrase, causing the subject (het pand) to invert and come right after the verb.
How does afgezien van function in this sentence?
Afgezien van is a complex preposition meaning 'apart from' or 'except for'. By placing it at the very beginning of the sentence, you bracket off a secondary topic (the wear and tear) before introducing your main point (the lack of maintenance) in the main clause.
Is there a difference between het pand and het gebouw?
Yes, though both can mean 'building'. Een gebouw is the general physical structure. Een pand is a term mostly used in real estate, business, or legal contexts to mean a 'property' or 'premises', such as a storefront or a house on the market.
Why does the sentence use gebrek aan instead of gebrek van for 'lack of'?
In Dutch, the noun het gebrek (the lack or shortage) always pairs with the preposition aan. Even though English uses 'of', you must learn gebrek aan as a fixed combination.