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Breakdown of De nieuwe kamer is heel comfortabel, maar de koelkast daar is te zwak.
zijn
to be
maar
but
nieuw
new
heel
very
daar
there
de kamer
the room
de koelkast
the fridge
te
too
comfortabel
comfortable
zwak
weak
Questions & Answers about De nieuwe kamer is heel comfortabel, maar de koelkast daar is te zwak.
Why is heel comfortabel used here instead of other words like erg comfortabel or zeer comfortabel?
In Dutch, heel is a common intensifier meaning "very" and can often be interchanged with erg or zeer to emphasize the degree of an adjective.
• heel comfortabel = very comfortable
• erg comfortabel = very comfortable (slightly more colloquial)
• zeer comfortabel = very comfortable (a bit more formal/literary)
What does te zwak specifically mean in Dutch?
Te zwak indicates that something is too weak, implying an undesirable excess (or in this case, a lack of strength) compared to what is needed. It goes beyond simply being weak; it suggests that the fridge’s weakness is problematic.
Why do we use maar here? Does it always translate to "but"?
Maar functions as a coordinating conjunction that introduces a contrast between two statements. It usually translates to "but" in English.
• De kamer is comfortabel, maar de koelkast is te zwak. → The room is comfortable, but the fridge is too weak.
Why is de used with both nieuwe kamer and koelkast?
Dutch has two main articles: de (common gender) and het (neuter). Both kamer and koelkast are common-gender nouns, so they take de.
Why is the adjective nieuwe spelled with an e?
In Dutch, an adjective before a de or het noun typically takes an -e ending when describing a singular noun (unless it’s with het and an indefinite article, in some cases). Since kamer is a de noun, you need nieuwe instead of nieuw.
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