De vergadering is kort maar belangrijk.

The meeting is short but important.

Breakdown of De vergadering is kort maar belangrijk.

• zijn: to be
• maar: but
• belangrijk: important
• kort: short
• de vergadering: the meeting

Questions & Answers about De vergadering is kort maar belangrijk.

Why is it de vergadering instead of het vergadering?

In Dutch, nouns are classified as either de words or het words. The word vergadering is a de word by convention. Most nouns that end in -ing are de words.

Why do we use kort here instead of something like klein?

Kort describes something “brief” in duration and is used for time-related shortness. In contrast, klein means “physically small” in size or dimension. Since we’re referring to the duration of the meeting, kort is the correct choice.

Is maar required for contrast in Dutch the same way "but" is in English?

Yes, maar functions just like "but" in English to introduce a contrast. You could say De vergadering is kort. Maar (hij is) belangrijk; however, typically, it’s smoother to put them together in one sentence: De vergadering is kort maar belangrijk.

What part of speech is belangrijk, and why is it placed at the end?

Belangrijk is an adjective meaning “important.” In this sentence, adjectives that follow the linking verb is usually come after the verb. So the structure is [subject] [verb] [adjective]: De vergadering | is | kort maar belangrijk.