Breakdown of De auto kan beschadigd raken als hij te hard botst.
hij
he
kunnen
can
als
if
te
too
de auto
the car
hard
hard
beschadigd raken
to get damaged
botsen
to crash
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Questions & Answers about De auto kan beschadigd raken als hij te hard botst.
What does "beschadigd raken" mean in this sentence?
"Beschadigd raken" translates as “to become damaged” or “to get damaged.” It’s a passive construction that shows the car might end up in a damaged state following a collision.
Why is the modal verb "kan" used here?
The verb "kan" means “can” and is used to express possibility. In this sentence, it indicates that the car has the potential to become damaged if a certain condition is met.
How does the clause "als hij te hard botst" function within the sentence?
The clause "als hij te hard botst" acts as a conditional clause, equivalent to “if it crashes too hard.” It sets the condition under which the car might become damaged, with "te hard" emphasizing that the crash must be forceful.
Why is the pronoun "hij" used to refer to "de auto"? Shouldn't it be "het" since a car is an object?
In Dutch, nouns that use the article "de" (known as de-words) are often treated as either masculine or feminine. Although a car is an inanimate object, "de auto" is commonly personified and thus referred to with "hij." This is a typical usage in everyday Dutch even if it might differ from English expectations.
What does the conjugated verb "botst" tell us about the action in this sentence?
"Botst" is the third person singular form of the verb "botsen," meaning “to crash” or “to collide.” It indicates that the subject (the car, referred to later as "hij") is performing the action of crashing in a manner that could lead to it becoming damaged.