Word
De bijwerking van deze drug is ernstig.
Meaning
The side effect of this drug is serious.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of De bijwerking van deze drug is ernstig.
de bijwerking
the side effect
ernstig
severe (serious, grave)
de drug
the drug (narcotic)
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Questions & Answers about De bijwerking van deze drug is ernstig.
Does drug here mean medicine from a pharmacy?
No, this is a very important false friend! In Dutch, drug almost always refers to illegal or recreational narcotics. If you want to talk about medicine you get from a pharmacy or doctor, you should use medicijn or geneesmiddel.
How does the word bijwerking translate to 'side effect'?
It is a compound word. Bij often indicates something extra or secondary, and werking means working or effect (from the verb werken). Put them together, and it literally means an extra effect alongside the intended one.
Can I use serieus instead of ernstig to mean 'serious'?
While Dutch does have the word serieus, ernstig is the better and more natural word for severe or grave situations like medical conditions, side effects, or accidents. Serieus is mostly used to describe a person's attitude, such as when asking if someone is joking.