Breakdown of De puinhoop is volledig compleet.
compleet
complete / completely (entire, total)
de puinhoop
the mess (shambles, ruin)
volledig
complete / fully
Questions & Answers about De puinhoop is volledig compleet.
Why doesn't volledig get an -e ending, since puinhoop is a de-word?
In this sentence, volledig (completely) is an adverb of degree modifying the adjective compleet (total), not the noun puinhoop. Adverbs of degree never get an -e ending. Additionally, compleet doesn't get an -e here either, because it is placed after the verb is rather than directly in front of the noun.
If I wanted to say "the completely total mess" instead, would volledig change?
No, it stays exactly the same. You would say de volledig complete puinhoop. Because volledig is still an adverb describing how "complete" the mess is, it remains invariant (it gets no -e). However, complete gets the -e ending because it is an adjective directly modifying the de-word puinhoop.
volledig compleet translates to "completely total", which sounds redundant. Is this natural Dutch?
Yes, this kind of repetition is very common in Dutch for emphasis. Stacking two words with similar meanings like volledig and compleet stresses just how absolute the disaster is. It works similarly to saying "an absolute, total mess" in English.
The word puinhoop translates to "mess", but what does it literally mean?
It is a compound of puin (rubble or debris) and hoop (pile or heap). So literally, it means a "pile of rubble." In everyday Dutch, it is the go-to word for a highly chaotic situation, a shambles, or a massive physical mess.
Learn De puinhoop is volledig compleet and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free