Questions & Answers about Ik merk dat de regel niet duidelijk is.
Why is the verb is at the very end of the sentence?
This happens because of the word dat (that). Dat is a subordinating conjunction, which introduces a subclause. In Dutch, a subclause always pushes its working verb to the end. Because the subclause here is dat de regel niet duidelijk is, the verb is is forced to the very back.
In English, we often drop 'that' and just say 'I notice the rule is not clear.' Can I leave out dat in Dutch?
No, you cannot drop dat in Dutch like you can with 'that' in English. When you introduce a subclause this way, you must always include dat.
Does merk mean 'mark' in English?
While they look and sound similar, the verb merken usually means 'to notice', 'to perceive', or 'to realize'. If you want to say 'to mark' (like marking a spot or grading a test), you would use a different verb, like markeren.
Why does niet come right before duidelijk?
When niet (not) is used to negate a specific adjective—in this case, duidelijk (clear)—it is placed directly in front of the adjective it is negating.