Breakdown of De voorspelling is slecht, want het gaat vanavond vriezen.
zijn
to be
gaan
to go / to go off (of an alarm)
het
it
want
because
Questions & Answers about De voorspelling is slecht, want het gaat vanavond vriezen.
Why doesn't the verb go to the end of the sentence after want?
Want (because) is a coordinating conjunction, which means it joins two normal main clauses without changing the word order. The conjugated verb gaat stays in the normal second position. If we used a subordinating conjunction like omdat (because) or tenzij (unless) from this lesson, the verbs would be pushed to the very end of the clause.
Why are gaat and vriezen separated by vanavond?
When a sentence has a conjugated helper verb (gaat) and an infinitive verb (vriezen), Dutch splits them up. The conjugated verb takes the normal second position in the clause, and the infinitive goes to the very end. Extra details, like the time word vanavond (tonight), get sandwiched in the middle.
Does gaat mean 'goes' or 'is going to' in this sentence?
It means 'is going to'. Just like in English, the Dutch verb gaan (to go) is frequently used as a helper verb to talk about things that will happen in the future. Het gaat vriezen perfectly matches 'it is going to freeze'.
I thought 'tonight' was vannacht. Why does this sentence use vanavond?