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Learn Hardcore Dutch: Deze korting is maar één cent. - This discount is only one cent.

Hardcore Dutch
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/Deze korting is maar één cent.

Deze korting is maar één cent.

Deze korting is maar één cent.

This discount is only one cent.

Breakdown of Deze korting is maar één cent.

Questions & Answers about Deze korting is maar één cent.

What does deze mean, and why is it deze korting rather than dit korting?

Deze means this here.

Dutch demonstratives depend on whether a noun is a de-word or a het-word:

deze for singular de nouns, and for all plurals
dit for singular het nouns

Because korting is a de-word (de korting), you say deze korting = this discount.

What exactly does korting mean?

Korting means discount or price reduction.

It is a very common shopping word in Dutch:

10% korting = 10% discount
studentenkorting = student discount

Even though it is related historically to kort (short) and korten (to shorten/reduce), in everyday Dutch you should just learn korting as the normal word for discount.

Why is the verb is in this position?

Dutch main clauses normally follow the verb-second rule: the finite verb comes in the second slot.

In this sentence:

Deze korting = first slot
is = second slot
maar één cent = the rest of the sentence

So the order is completely normal Dutch word order.

de korting

the discount

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Does maar mean but here?

No. Here maar means only or just.

So:

maar één cent = only one cent

Dutch maar has several meanings. It can mean but, but in this sentence it does not. This is a very common use:

Het kost maar vijf euro. = It only costs five euros.
Ik heb maar tien minuten. = I only have ten minutes.

Why is één written with accents? Why not just een?

The accents show that één is the numeral one, not the unstressed article a/an.

Compare:

een cent = a cent / one cent depending on context
één cent = clearly one cent, often with emphasis

In writing, Dutch often adds the accents when the exact number matters or when the writer wants to stress it. In speech, één is also pronounced more strongly than the article een.

Why is there no extra article before cent?

Because één is already determining the noun.

Dutch says:

één cent
twee cent
drie euro

You do not add another article before the noun. So één cent is complete by itself.

What nuance does maar één cent add to the sentence?

It suggests that the discount is very small, often almost disappointingly small.

Compare:

Deze korting is één cent. = neutral, just stating the amount
Deze korting is maar één cent. = This discount is only one cent, with the feeling that that is not much

So maar often adds a sense of smallness, limitation, or not very impressive.

Could I also say slechts één cent?

Yes. Slechts één cent also means only one cent.

The difference is mostly style:

maar één cent = very common, natural, everyday Dutch
slechts één cent = a bit more formal or written

Alleen één cent is usually not the best choice here. For amounts like this, maar or slechts is more idiomatic.

How is één pronounced differently from the article een?

That is an important difference.

een as an article is often weak and reduced, roughly like uhn
één as the number one is stressed and pronounced clearly, roughly like ayn or ane, but with a pure Dutch long vowel

So in this sentence, één stands out clearly because it is the exact amount.

How would a Dutch speaker pronounce the whole sentence?

A rough English-friendly pronunciation is:

DAY-zuh KOR-ting is mahr ayn sent

A few notes:

deze: first syllable stressed
korting: stress on kor
maar: long vowel, roughly mahr
één: clearly stressed
cent: close to English sent

A more natural Dutch rhythm would strongly emphasize één:

Deze korting is maar ÉÉN cent.

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