Ontbreken
Example: Het lijkt erop dat er iets ontbreekt in deze uitleg.
Definition
"Ontbreken" means to be missing, lacking, or absent from something. It describes the state where an expected or necessary element is not present, as in the phrase 'It seems that something is missing in this explanation.'
Etymology
The Dutch verb "ontbreken" comes from the prefix 'ont-' indicating removal or absence and the root 'breken,' meaning to break. Together, it originally conveyed the idea of something being broken off or missing from a whole. Did you know? Its sense evolved to mean 'to be absent or lacking' in Dutch.
Learn to use this word actively
"Ontbreken" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - (B2) - set 4", containing 112 commonly used words.
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