Taaltip Engels: very exciting: hoe vervang ik ‘very’?

door Anneke Drijver · 24 februari 2020

Professionaliteit straal je mede uit door je woordenschat. Een van de valkuilen van de Engelse taal is het overmatig gebruik van het woord ‘very’. In principe is dit niet erg, maar wanneer dit woord vaak wordt gebruikt in één gesprek, kan dat ervoor zorgen dat je minder professioneel overkomt. Dit artikel biedt je equivalenten van verschillende woordcombinaties met ‘very’ als bijwoord.

Het woord ‘very’ wordt gebruikt om nadruk te leggen op het woord dat volgt. In het Nederlands gebeurt dit ook, door bijvoorbeeld het woord ‘heel’ of ‘super’ te gebruiken. Ook in het Nederlands bestaan er vaak equivalenten voor deze woorden die een stuk formeler en professioneler overkomen. Denk bijvoorbeeld eens aan ‘heel boos’ en ‘woedend’. Het tweede woord heeft in principe geen andere betekenis in vergelijking tot ‘heel boos’. Toch klinkt ‘woedend’ een stuk serieuzer.

*‘Very’* + woord	Equivalent
Very dear	Cherished The family traditions were very cherished to her.
Very dull	Tedious The production of this is always a tedious task.
Very confused	Perplexed “What are you talking about?” he asked in a perplexed tone.
Very important	Crucial “It is crucial that we get the right results in order to maintain our status.”
Very intelligent	Brilliant “Britt was not only brilliant, but she was fast in her work.”
Very long / Very large	Extensive “I did not know the university had such an extensive library.”
Very long-term	Enduring “She gained enduring fame when she because a queen.”
Very necessary	Essential “It is essential that you finish your work today.”
Very sure	Certain “I am certain that he does not realise in what condition we are.”
Very angry	Furious “Her boss was furious because she left.”
Very sad	Devastated “She was devastated when she heard that her office went bankrupt.”
Very shocking	Appalling “It is appalling to believe that some people do not have a home.”
Very glad / Very happy	Overjoyed “I was overjoyed to hear that I got a payraise.”
Very risky	Perilous “Gambling is very perilous: you could lose all your money.”
Very quick	Rapid “The stocks increased vey rapidly.”
Very rich	Wealthy “His monthly income is very high, he is a wealthy man.”
Very creative	Innovative “She always comes up with the most innovative ideas.”
Very detailed	Meticulous “He planned out his idea in the most meticulous manner.”
Very often	Frequently “I frequently visit my mother after work.”
Very upset	Distraught “She was distraught after she found out she lost her job.”