Breakdown of We wandelden toen zulke extreme hagel begon.
beginnen
to begin
wandelen
to walk (for pleasure)
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
toen
when / then (in the past)
Questions & Answers about We wandelden toen zulke extreme hagel begon.
Why do we use zulke instead of zo'n here?
In Dutch, we use zo'n (meaning "such a") with singular, countable nouns. Because hagel (hail) is an uncountable noun, we must use zulke (such). You also use zulke with plural nouns.
Why does the adjective extreme get an -e at the end?
When you use zulke, the adjective following it takes the standard -e ending. This applies whether the noun is a de-word or a het-word.
Why is "when" translated as toen and not wanneer?
Toen is specifically used for a single, fixed event that happened in the past (like hail suddenly starting). You use wanneer when asking a question, or for repeated events where it means "whenever".
Why is the verb begon pushed to the very end of the sentence?
Because toen is a subordinating conjunction. It introduces a dependent clause, which means the conjugated verb for that part of the sentence (begon) is forced to the end of the clause.