Breakdown of Zij is boos omdat hij het vuilnis niet buitenzet.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
zij
she
niet
not
boos
angry
omdat
because (subordinating)
het vuilnis
the garbage
buitenzetten
to put outside
Questions & Answers about Zij is boos omdat hij het vuilnis niet buitenzet.
Why is buitenzet written as one word here? Shouldn't separable verbs split?
The verb is buitenzetten (to put outside / to take out). In a standard main clause, it splits: Hij zet het vuilnis buiten. However, the word omdat introduces a subordinate clause, which pushes the verb to the end. When a separable verb is pushed to the end of a clause like this, the prefix (buiten) and the conjugated verb (zet) snap back together into a single word: buitenzet.
Does omdat always push the verb to the end?
Yes! The word omdat (because) is a subordinating conjunction. In Dutch, subordinate clauses always use verb-final word order. This means the conjugated verb has to wait until the very end of that clause.
Why is niet placed right before buitenzet?
When you negate the overall action of a sentence, niet generally moves toward the end. In a main clause, the separable prefix would be at the very end, so niet would go right before it (Hij zet het vuilnis niet buiten). Because omdat forces the combined verb (buitenzet) into the absolute final spot here, niet simply takes its place right in front of the verb.
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