Breakdown of Het stellen van de diagnose is lastig als je aan meerdere klachten lijdt.
de diagnose
the diagnosis
lijden aan
to suffer from
Questions & Answers about Het stellen van de diagnose is lastig als je aan meerdere klachten lijdt.
How is Het stellen van de diagnose an example of nominal style if it doesn't start with a preposition like na or door?
In this sentence, the nominal phrase is the actual subject of the sentence, not just an adverbial phrase of time or cause. It uses the exact same core structure you are learning: het + infinitive (stellen) + van + the logical object (de diagnose). It elegantly replaces a clunky full subject clause like Dat de arts de diagnose stelt... (That the doctor makes the diagnosis...).
Why do we use stellen here instead of a literal translation for "making"?
In Dutch, you don't "make" a diagnosis; you "set" or "establish" it. The fixed combination (collocation) is een diagnose stellen. You might remember a similar verb pattern from earlier lessons, such as een vraag stellen (to ask a question) or eisen stellen (to make demands).
Why does the sentence use aan instead of van for suffering "from" complaints?
The verb lijden (to suffer) requires the fixed preposition aan when talking about medical conditions, diseases, or physical complaints. So, "to suffer from" is always lijden aan. As a bonus B2 tip: if you suffer from something non-medical, like bad weather or noise pollution, you use lijden onder instead.
I know meer means "more", but how does meerdere translate to "several"?
While meer is the comparative of veel (much/many), adding the adjective ending -e creates meerdere, which has taken on a specific meaning in Dutch. It is used as a standard adjective to mean "several" or "multiple", functioning very similarly to verschillende (various).
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