Ons onderzoek is boeiend, maar het kan soms ook saai zijn.

to be

Breakdown of Ons onderzoek is boeiend, maar het kan soms ook saai zijn.

• maar: but
• ook: also
• het: it
• kunnen: can
• ons: our
• het onderzoek: the research
• boeiend: fascinating
• soms: sometimes
• saai: boring

Questions & Answers about Ons onderzoek is boeiend, maar het kan soms ook saai zijn.

Why is ons used instead of onze when referring to onderzoek?

In Dutch, onderzoek is a het-word (neuter noun). We generally use ons for het-words in the singular and onze for de-words or plural nouns.

What role does maar play in this sentence?

Maar is a coordinating conjunction that introduces a contrast in Dutch (similar to but in English). It connects two clauses or phrases where the second part provides an alternative or opposite idea to the first.

Why does the sentence use het to refer to onderzoek?

Since onderzoek is a neuter noun, its pronoun form is het. So when you're referring back to it, you say het rather than hij.

What's the function of soms and ook here?

Soms means sometimes and indicates that the activity can occasionally be less interesting. Ook means also; it adds the idea that besides being fascinating, the research can equally be boring at times.

Why do we say kan soms ook saai zijn and not just is soms ook saai?

Kan introduces the idea of possibility or likelihood (“can be”), rather than stating it as a fixed fact. It tells us that while research is often exciting, it can occasionally be boring, but it’s not necessarily always so.