Breakdown of Aanraken van dat hete voorwerp is erg gevaarlijk.
zijn
to be
dat
that
erg
very
het aanraken
the touching
heet
hot
gevaarlijk
dangerous
het voorwerp
the object
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Questions & Answers about Aanraken van dat hete voorwerp is erg gevaarlijk.
Why is "aanraken" in the infinitive form here instead of a conjugated verb like "raakt" or "raken"?
In Dutch, using aanraken (the infinitive) at the beginning of the sentence makes it function like a noun (a gerund in English). Essentially, Aanraken van dat hete voorwerp is the subject of the sentence, meaning The act of touching that hot object.
Why do we say "hete" instead of "heet"?
In Dutch, adjectives get an extra -e in front of a definite noun when they come directly before it. Since we’re talking about dat hete voorwerp (that hot object), the adjective heet becomes hete to match the gender and definiteness of voorwerp.
What is the role of "van" in "Aanraken van dat hete voorwerp"?
The word van indicates possession or a relationship here, linking aanraken (touching) to dat hete voorwerp (that hot object). In English, you might say something like Touching of that hot object. It’s a common Dutch construction when using an infinitive as a subject and wanting to specify what is being touched.
Is "aanraken" a separable verb, and if so, how does that work?
Yes, aanraken is a separable verb. In a regular sentence, it can split in finite forms. For example: Ik raak het hete voorwerp aan (I touch the hot object). However, in the sentence Aanraken van dat hete voorwerp..., it remains together because we’re referring to the infinitive form used as a noun.
Can I invert the sentence or use a different structure to say something similar?
Absolutely. You could say Het is erg gevaarlijk om dat hete voorwerp aan te raken, which is more like a typical English construction (It is very dangerous to touch that hot object). Both forms are acceptable in Dutch, but using Aanraken van dat hete voorwerp... is a bit more formal or stylistic.
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