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Mijn zus zal wel heel slordig zijn.

Mijn zus zal wel heel slordig zijn.
My sister is probably very careless.
From Lesson 180:Probability and assumption (zullen)·Dutch

Questions & Answers about Mijn zus zal wel heel slordig zijn.

Why does this sentence use zal when the English translation says 'is' instead of 'will be'?
In Dutch, the verb zullen (here conjugated as zal) is often used to express a strong assumption or probability, not just the future tense. By saying zal ... zijn, you are expressing what you assume to be true right now: 'she is probably...'.
What role does the word wel play here?
The little word wel acts as a modal particle here. It teams up with zal to emphasize the assumption and make it sound more conversational, similar to saying 'I suppose' or 'probably'. Without wel, the sentence sounds a bit more like a strict prediction about the future.
Why is zijn placed at the very end of the sentence?
Because zal is a modal verb. In Dutch main clauses, the conjugated modal verb (zal) takes the second position, while the main infinitive verb (zijn) gets pushed all the way to the end of the sentence.
Can slordig mean something else besides 'careless'?
Yes, slordig is a very common word for 'messy' or 'untidy' when talking about a room, a person's appearance, or their habits. So this sentence could also naturally mean 'My sister is probably very messy.'

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