……
Breakdown of De chef maakt een luchtig dessert dat niet alleen lekker maar ook aantrekkelijk is.
zijn
to be
niet
not
maar
but
ook
also
dat
that
lekker
tasty
een
a, an
maken
to make
alleen
only
luchtig
light
het dessert
the dessert
aantrekkelijk
attractive
Questions & Answers about De chef maakt een luchtig dessert dat niet alleen lekker maar ook aantrekkelijk is.
What does luchtig mean in this context?
Luchtig literally means “airy” or “light.” When describing a dessert, it indicates the texture is not dense or heavy but rather fluffy and delicate.
What is the function of dat in this sentence?
Dat is a relative pronoun referring back to een luchtig dessert. It introduces a relative clause that describes the dessert. In English, it’s like “that” in “a dessert that is...”
Why does the verb is appear at the end of the clause?
Because the clause starting with dat is a subordinate (relative) clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the finite verb moves to the end, following a subject-object-verb (SOV) order.
How does the structure niet alleen ... maar ook work?
Niet alleen means “not only” and maar ook means “but also.” Together they link two qualities:
• niet alleen lekker – not only tasty
• maar ook aantrekkelijk – but also attractive
You can optionally include a comma before maar, though it’s not mandatory in short phrases.
What’s the difference between lekker and aantrekkelijk?
Lekker refers to taste (“delicious,” “tasty”), while aantrekkelijk refers to appearance or overall appeal (“attractive,” “appealing”).
How do you pronounce chef in Dutch?
In Dutch, chef is pronounced [ʃɛf], roughly like “shef” in English, with a soft “sh” sound at the beginning.
What’s the difference between chef and kok?
A chef is the head cook or kitchen manager, often in charge of menu design and kitchen operations. A kok is any cook, not necessarily in a leadership role.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Dutch grammar?”
Dutch grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning DutchMaster Dutch — from De chef maakt een luchtig dessert dat niet alleen lekker maar ook aantrekkelijk is to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions