Questions & Answers about Ik vroeg of zij over het gerucht roddelde.
Why is roddelde in the past tense?
This sentence uses reported speech. Because the main verb vroeg (asked) is in the past tense, the verb in the reported part shifts to the past tense too. The original question was likely in the present tense: 'Do you gossip?' (Roddel jij?), which becomes 'if she gossiped' (of zij roddelde).
Why does the verb roddelde go at the end of the sentence?
The word of (if/whether) introduces a subordinate clause. In Dutch, subordinate clauses push the conjugated verb to the very end. Since zij over het gerucht roddelde is the subordinate clause, the verb roddelde must come last.
Could I use als instead of of here, since they both translate to 'if'?
No, you must use of in this sentence. In Dutch, of is used for indirect yes/no questions where you could also say 'whether' in English. Als is used for conditions (like 'If it rains, I will stay home'). Since this is a reported question, of is the correct word.
Are gerucht and roddelen related words?
They have related meanings but function differently here. Het gerucht is a noun meaning 'the rumor' (an unverified story). Roddelen is a verb meaning 'to gossip'. In this sentence, roddelde is the simple past tense of the verb, meaning she was gossiping about that specific rumor.