Breakdown of De gemeente zegt dat de brug beter moet worden onderhouden.
zeggen
to say
moeten
to have to, must
worden
to become
de brug
the bridge
Questions & Answers about De gemeente zegt dat de brug beter moet worden onderhouden.
How does the present passive work with a modal verb in this sentence?
To say that something 'must be done', Dutch uses a modal verb (moet) plus the infinitive worden (to be) and a past participle (onderhouden).
Why are all three verbs (moet worden onderhouden) stacked at the very end?
The word dat (that) starts a subordinate clause, which pushes all verbs to the end. In a verb cluster like this, the conjugated modal verb (moet) usually comes first, followed by the infinitive (worden) and the past participle (onderhouden). You might also hear moet onderhouden worden — both orders are perfectly fine!
Why doesn't the past participle onderhouden get a ge- prefix?
The verb onderhouden (to maintain) has the inseparable prefix onder-. Verbs starting with inseparable prefixes (like be-, ver-, or onder-) do not get an extra ge- added to their past participle form.