Exclamations with dat
In English, we sometimes express strong outrage or disbelief with a dramatic phrase starting with "That..." (e.g., "That he would say such a thing!"). Dutch does exactly the same thing. You can form a strong exclamation simply by starting a sentence with dat.
Because this exclamation is grammatically a subordinate clause standing on its own, it uses verb-final word order. The conjugated verb and any other verbs in the clause are pushed to the very end.
| That they actually make up such an unimaginable story! | Dat ze zowaar zo'n onvoorstelbaar verhaal verzinnen! |
| That the neighbor has the nerve to conceal that! | Dat de buurman het lef heeft om dat te verzwijgen! |
Astonishing achievements
When someone pulls off an unbelievable feat or has the nerve to do something shocking, these dat-clauses are the perfect reaction. To emphasize your disbelief, you can add adverbs like zowaar (actually, surprisingly).
Notice how verbs like neerzetten (to deliver or establish a record) and presteren (to pull off or achieve) wait at the very end of the exclamation:
| That he actually delivered such an astonishing performance! | Dat hij zowaar zo'n verbazingwekkende prestatie heeft neergezet! |
| That the doctor really pulled this off! | Dat de dokter dit echt heeft gepresteerd! |
Incomprehensible situations
Whether you are reacting to a ridiculous excuse or a true miracle (het wonder), this structure gives your sentence a punchy, dramatic finish. It is the natural way to express that you find a situation utterly onbegrijpelijk (incomprehensible).
| That he actually dares to make up such a ridiculous excuse! | Dat hij zo'n belachelijk excuus zowaar durft te verzinnen! |
| That she finds the miracle unimaginable and incomprehensible! | Dat zij het wonder onvoorstelbaar en onbegrijpelijk vindt! |