Breakdown of Het paleis dat historisch is, heeft een modern dak.
zijn
to be
een
a/an
hebben
to have
dat
that/which (relative pronoun)
Questions & Answers about Het paleis dat historisch is, heeft een modern dak.
Why do we use dat instead of die for "that" in this sentence?
Because paleis is a het-word (het paleis). When a relative clause refers back to a singular het-word, we must use the relative pronoun dat. If the noun were a de-word or a plural, we would use die.
Why is the verb is at the very end of the phrase dat historisch is?
The phrase dat historisch is is a relative clause, which is a type of subordinate clause (a dependent part of the sentence). In Dutch, subordinate clauses push the working verb to the very end.
Why does the main verb heeft come right after the comma?
Dutch main clauses strictly follow the "verb second" rule. The entire phrase Het paleis dat historisch is acts as the subject, taking up the complete first position in the sentence. To stay in the second position, the verb heeft must come immediately after that whole block.
Why doesn't the adjective modern have an -e at the end (moderne)?