Breakdown of Deze ontwikkeling kan je laten groeien als professional, dus werk er dagelijks aan.
kunnen
can
werken
to work
je
you
aan
on
deze
this
dus
so
dagelijks
daily
als
as
de ontwikkeling
the development
laten groeien
to help grow
de professional
the professional
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Questions & Answers about Deze ontwikkeling kan je laten groeien als professional, dus werk er dagelijks aan.
What does the phrase kan je laten groeien mean, and how does its structure work?
The phrase kan je laten groeien literally means “can make you grow” but is best understood as “can help you grow” in English. Here, kan is the modal verb indicating possibility or capability, je is the object (“you”), and laten groeien is an infinitive construction that shows that the development enables your growth. This structure—modal verb, subject, and then an infinitive phrase—is typical in Dutch for describing potential outcomes.
What role does the pronoun er play in the phrase werk er dagelijks aan?
In werk er dagelijks aan, the pronoun er is used to refer back to a previously mentioned idea—in this case, deze ontwikkeling. Instead of repeating the full noun phrase, er stands in as a substitute, so the phrase effectively means “work on it daily.” This kind of reference is common in Dutch and helps keep sentences from becoming unnecessarily repetitive.
How does the adverbial phrase als professional function in this sentence?
The phrase als professional acts as an adverbial complement that specifies in what capacity you will grow. It clarifies that the growth or development facilitated by deze ontwikkeling is meant to enhance your skills and progress in your professional life. In other words, it indicates that the improvement is professional rather than personal or in another domain.
Why is there a comma before dus in the sentence?
The comma before dus serves to separate two distinct parts of the sentence—the first part states the potential benefit of the development, and the second part gives a practical recommendation based on that benefit. Dus translates to “so” or “therefore,” and the comma helps indicate a pause and a logical transition between the two independent clauses, enhancing clarity.
How does the use of the modal verb kan influence the overall word order of the sentence?
In Dutch, modal verbs like kan typically take the second position in a sentence. Following it, the subject (je) appears, and the rest of the verb phrase—in this case, laten groeien—comes later at the end of the clause. This arrangement is a standard feature of Dutch sentence structure when modal verbs are involved, differing from English word order while still clearly conveying meaning.
Can the expression werk er dagelijks aan be used with other subjects in Dutch, and if so, why is it structured this way?
Yes, the expression werk er dagelijks aan is a good example of how Dutch often uses a pronoun like er to refer back to a specific idea or object (here, deze ontwikkeling). This construction is flexible and can be used with other subjects where a previously mentioned concept is being referred to. By using er, the sentence avoids repetition and maintains fluency while indicating what exactly should be worked on daily.