Breakdown of Zij waren aan het scheiden toen hij plotseling stierf.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
zij
they
aan
on / at (attached to, edge)
Questions & Answers about Zij waren aan het scheiden toen hij plotseling stierf.
Why is the verb stierf at the very end of the sentence?
The word toen (when) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it connects a secondary clause to the main sentence and pushes the conjugated verb to the very end of its clause. Because of toen, the normal order changes from hij stierf plotseling to toen hij plotseling stierf.
Could I use wanneer instead of toen here?
No, you must use toen. In Dutch, toen is used specifically for a single, fixed event or period in the past. Since his death was a one-time past event, toen is required. You would only use wanneer for present and future events, questions, or to mean 'whenever' in the past.
What does the phrase waren aan het scheiden do?
This is the past continuous tense. In Dutch, you use a past tense form of zijn (here, waren) + aan het + the infinitive verb (scheiden) to show that an action was ongoing. It emphasizes that the divorce was a process actively happening right at the time of his sudden death.
What is the infinitive form of stierf?
Stierf is the singular simple past tense of the irregular verb sterven, which means to die. Because the subject is hij, we use stierf.