Breakdown of De doos bleef onbeschadigd; het bedrag werd terugbetaald.
worden
to become
blijven
to remain
de doos
the box
het bedrag
the amount
Questions & Answers about De doos bleef onbeschadigd; het bedrag werd terugbetaald.
Why is it bleef onbeschadigd and not was onbeschadigd?
Bleef is the past tense of blijven, which means to remain / to stay.
So:
- De doos was onbeschadigd = The box was undamaged
- De doos bleef onbeschadigd = The box remained undamaged
Using bleef emphasizes that the box stayed in that condition, possibly despite transport, handling, or some risk of damage. It suggests a result over time, not just a simple description.
What exactly does onbeschadigd mean, and how is it built?
Onbeschadigd means undamaged.
It is built from:
- beschadigd = damaged
- on- = un-, not-
So onbeschadigd literally means not damaged.
This on- prefix is common in Dutch:
- mogelijk = possible
- onmogelijk = impossible
- tevreden = satisfied
- ontevreden = dissatisfied
Why is there no extra word like gebleven in De doos bleef onbeschadigd?