Breakdown of Wij richten de lay-out op de lezer.
de lay-out
the layout (page, graphic design)
richten
to aim / to direct
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Wij richten de lay-out op de lezer.
What is the exact meaning of the verb combination richten op here?
The verb richten combined with the preposition op means "to direct at," "to aim at," or "to tailor to." It can be used literally, like aiming a camera, or figuratively, as in this sentence where a design is being tailored to suit the reader.
Why aren't we using a compound locative adverb like daarop in this sentence?
Compound locative adverbs like hierop, daarop, or erop are generally used to point to things, not people. Because de lezer is a person, if we wanted to replace it with a pronoun to say "We direct the layout at him," we must use the preposition plus pronoun, op hem, instead of a compound word.
Why is lay-out hyphenated in Dutch when it is a single word in English?
Dutch frequently borrows English words but applies its own spelling rules. Noun compounds borrowed from English that consist of a verb and a particle, like lay and out, usually get a hyphen in Dutch to keep the pronunciation and syllable division clear.
Could we use the reflexive form zich richten op in this context?
Not without changing the meaning. If you said Wij richten ons op de lezer, you are using the reflexive verb zich richten op, which means "to focus on" (literally: to direct oneself at). Because we are aiming a specific object (de lay-out) at the reader rather than focusing our own attention, we do not use the reflexive pronoun.