Breakdown of Het resultaat is niet zichtbaar, omdat de oplossing ontbreekt.
zijn
to be
niet
not
het resultaat
the result
omdat
because (subordinating)
Questions & Answers about Het resultaat is niet zichtbaar, omdat de oplossing ontbreekt.
Why do we use ontbreekt instead of a literal translation of "is missing"?
In Dutch, the verb ontbreken specifically means "to be lacking" or "to be absent". While English uses the verb "to be" plus "missing", Dutch simply uses the verb ontbreken. You wouldn't use the Dutch verb missen here, because that is used for missing a bus or emotionally missing a person.
Why is the verb ontbreekt at the very end of the sentence?
The word omdat (because) is a subordinating conjunction. It introduces a dependent clause, which triggers "verb-final" word order in Dutch. This rule pushes the conjugated verb (ontbreekt) to the very end of that clause.
How is the word zichtbaar (visible) formed?
It combines the noun zicht (sight or vision) with the suffix -baar. This suffix works exactly like the English "-able" or "-ible" to show that something can be done. So zichtbaar essentially means "sight-able" or visible.
Is the comma before omdat strictly necessary?
In Dutch, it is a standard rule to place a comma between two clauses when the second clause starts with a conjunction like omdat, want, or maar. It separates the main clause from the subclause and makes the sentence easier to read.