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Questions & Answers about Hij maakt carrière.
What is the grammatical structure of Hij maakt carrière?
The sentence follows the basic Dutch subject–verb–object order. Hij is the subject (“he”), maakt is the conjugated verb in the present tense (third-person singular of maken), and carrière serves as the complement, forming a complete, idiomatic expression.
How is the verb maakt conjugated and what does it imply about the subject?
Maakt is the third-person singular present tense form of maken. This indicates that the subject, hij (“he”), is currently engaged in the action, suggesting an ongoing or habitual process of building or advancing his career.
Why does the noun carrière appear without an article in this sentence?
In Dutch, carrière maken is a fixed, idiomatic expression. Here, carrière is treated as an abstract, uncountable concept referring to one’s professional progress, so no article (like een) is used, similar to how idioms often omit articles.
Is carrière maken an idiom in Dutch, and are there similar expressions in the language?
Yes, carrière maken is a common idiomatic expression meaning to build or advance one’s career. While there are other ways to express professional advancement—such as succes hebben in je beroep (“to be successful in your field”) or opklimmen op de carrièreladder (“to climb the career ladder)—the phrase carrière maken remains a concise and widely used idiom.
How does Hij maakt carrière differ from a longer form like Hij maakt er carrière van?
Both expressions communicate the idea of building a career, but Hij maakt carrière is the more succinct, idiomatic form. The extended version, Hij maakt er carrière van, explicitly links the career-building action to a specific context by using the pronoun er and the preposition van. In everyday usage, the shorter form is more common when the context is already understood.
What might be a common pitfall when an English speaker translates Hij maakt carrière literally?
A literal word-for-word translation as “He makes career” can sound awkward in English. It’s important to interpret the idiom correctly, understanding that it means “He is building (or advancing in) his career”. Recognizing that the Dutch expression is idiomatic helps avoid misinterpretation in translation.
What is the origin of the word carrière in this context?
The word carrière in Dutch is borrowed from French and carries much the same meaning as in English—a professional trajectory or progress in one’s career. Its usage in the idiom carrière maken reflects this shared origin and conceptual framing.