Breakdown of Hij kraakt mijn werk af met onzin.
afkraken
to tear down / to criticize harshly
de onzin
the nonsense
Questions & Answers about Hij kraakt mijn werk af met onzin.
What does the verb afkraken mean exactly, and how does it compare to just criticizing someone?
Afkraken means to heavily criticize, tear apart, or trash something. It is much stronger and more negative than bekritiseren (to criticize), implying that the feedback is harsh, destructive, and intended to break something down rather than improve it.
Why is the separable prefix af placed before met onzin instead of at the very end of the sentence?
While the separable prefix usually goes to the end of the clause, prepositional phrases like met onzin (with nonsense) can comfortably sit after the prefix in everyday Dutch. You could strictly say Hij kraakt mijn werk met onzin af, but placing the prepositional phrase at the very end is extremely common and sounds more natural.
How could I connect this sentence to a pre-emptive negation, like 'Not that I care...'?
You can follow it up using Niet dat plus a subordinate clause, which pushes the conjugated verb to the end. For example: Hij kraakt mijn werk af met onzin. Niet dat het me kan schelen... (Not that I care...). This prevents the listener from falsely assuming his nonsense actually upset you.
Is onzin a countable noun? Can I say he uses 'onzinnen' (nonsenses)?
No, onzin is an uncountable noun, just like 'nonsense' in English. You cannot make it plural. If you want to refer to specific foolish remarks, you would need to use a phrase like onzinnige dingen (nonsensical things) or onzinpraatjes (nonsense talks).
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