Breakdown of Het is kwalijk om zo tactloos te zijn.
tactloos
tactless
kwalijk
bad / offensive (nemen: to take amiss)
Questions & Answers about Het is kwalijk om zo tactloos te zijn.
What is the nuance of kwalijk here compared to standard words for "bad" like slecht or erg?
While slecht is a general word for "bad" and erg often means "severe" or "terrible", kwalijk has a more moral or behavioral nuance. It implies that an action is objectionable, harmful, or a poor reflection on someone's character. It is the perfect word to describe inappropriate behavior like being tactless.
How would I use the niet dat structure from the current lesson to say "Not that it is bad to be so tactless..."?
You would write: Niet dat het kwalijk is om zo tactloos te zijn... Because niet dat introduces a subordinate clause (a dependent clause that cannot stand alone), the verb is moves to the end of that specific clause. The extra om... te phrase then attaches naturally to the very end of the sentence.
Why is om used here? Could I drop it and just say Het is kwalijk zo tactloos te zijn?
You technically can drop om when you have a Het is [adjective]... structure followed by a full infinitive phrase. However, including om makes the sentence sound much more natural to native ears and gives it a better rhythm. At a B2 level, it is highly recommended to use the full om ... te structure for statements like this.
Does the suffix -loos in tactloos function exactly like "-less" in English?
Yes, they are exact equivalents. The Dutch suffix -loos means "without". Just as "tactless" means without tact, you can easily guess the meaning of many other Dutch words formed this way, such as werkloos (unemployed, without work), draadloos (wireless), or zinloos (pointless).
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