Breakdown of De kat slaapt op het dak dat erg warm is.
zijn
to be
de kat
the cat
slapen
to sleep
op
on
erg
very / really
warm
warm
dat
that/which (relative pronoun)
het dak
the roof
Questions & Answers about De kat slaapt op het dak dat erg warm is.
Why do we use dat here instead of die for "that"?
The word dat points back to het dak (the roof). Because dak is a het-word, we have to use dat to link the description back to it. If we were talking about a de-word, like de vloer (the floor), we would use die instead.
Why is the verb is at the very end of the sentence?
The phrase dat erg warm is is a relative clause (a mini-sentence that describes a noun). In Dutch, these clauses always follow subclause word order, which pushes the working verb to the very end. That is why it is dat erg warm is instead of dat is erg warm.
Could I just say heel warm instead of erg warm?
Yes, absolutely! When used before an adjective to mean "very", erg and heel mean exactly the same thing. You will hear Dutch speakers use both erg warm and heel warm.
Can dat also translate to "which", as in "the roof which is very warm"?
Yes, it can. When referring to objects, English speakers often use either "that" or "which". In Dutch, you will always just use dat (for singular het-words) or die (for all other words), regardless of whether you would use "that" or "which" in English.
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