Breakdown of De orkaan is de kust aan het verwoesten doordat de wind te hard waait.
zijn
to be
te
too
hard
loud / fast (forceful) / hard (with effort)
aan
on / at (attached to, edge)
de wind
the wind
waaien
to blow (wind)
doordat
because of the fact that / because (cause)
verwoesten
to destroy
de orkaan
the hurricane
de kust
the coast
Questions & Answers about De orkaan is de kust aan het verwoesten doordat de wind te hard waait.
Why do we use doordat here instead of omdat?
Doordat is used for a direct, objective cause-and-effect relationship, usually involving things outside of human control like nature or physics. Omdat is generally used for subjective reasons, human motivations, or choices. Since the wind blowing physically causes the destruction without any human choice involved, doordat is the most precise word here.
Does doordat change the word order in the second part of the sentence?
Yes. Because doordat is a subordinating conjunction, it introduces a dependent clause and pushes the conjugated verb to the very end of that clause. That is why the verb waait comes after te hard instead of right after de wind.
How does the aan het structure work in this sentence?
This is the Dutch continuous tense. It is formed with a conjugated form of the verb zijn (here: is) plus aan het and the infinitive verb (verwoesten). It emphasizes that the hurricane is actively in the process of destroying the coast right at this moment, rather than just stating it as a general fact.
Why is de kust placed before aan het verwoesten?
In an aan het continuous construction, any direct object (like de kust) must be placed between the conjugated verb (is) and the aan het phrase. You cannot put the object at the end of the sentence like you do in English.
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