Breakdown of Omdat het document niet nep is, is het een probleem.
zijn
to be
een
a/an
niet
not
het probleem
the problem
het
it
het document
the document
omdat
because (subordinating)
nep
fake
Questions & Answers about Omdat het document niet nep is, is het een probleem.
Why is it niet nep is instead of is niet nep?
The word omdat (because) starts a subordinate clause, which pushes the verb (is) to the very end of the clause. The word niet (not) stays right in front of the adjective it negates (nep). So, the normal order is niet nep changes to niet nep is before the comma.
If we are in a subordinate clause, why doesn't niet move to the very end?
While niet often moves toward the end of a sentence, it must always stay directly in front of an adjective it negates. Since it negates nep (fake), it stays glued in front of it, and only the verb is gets pushed past it to the end by the subordinate clause.
Why does the second half of the sentence start with the verb is?
This happens because of the V2 rule! The main verb of a regular clause always wants to be in the second position. Here, the entire first clause (Omdat het document niet nep is) counts as position one. To stay in the second position, the verb is has to come next, swapping places with the subject het.
Is nep an adjective or a noun here?
Here, nep is used as an adjective meaning fake or false. You will also often see it attached to the front of nouns to make compound words, like nepnieuws (fake news) or nepaccount (fake account).
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