Breakdown of Zij komt nu pas achter de rots vandaan.
zij
she
nu
now
komen
to come
pas
only / not until (of time)
achter
behind
de rots
the rock
vandaan
from (used with waar, daar, hier)
Questions & Answers about Zij komt nu pas achter de rots vandaan.
Why are we using both achter and vandaan here?
This is a circumposition (a two-part preposition) used to describe a specific path of movement. achter tells us where she was (behind the rock), and vandaan tells us the direction of the movement (away from that place). Together, achter ... vandaan translates to "from behind".
How does nu pas translate to "only now"? Can I use alleen instead of pas?
pas is an adverb often used for time, meaning "not until" or "only just". When paired with nu (now), the chunk nu pas specifically means "only now", usually implying that it happened later than expected. You cannot use alleen here, because alleen is used for quantities or exclusivity (like "only one"), not for time.
Is vandaan connected to the verb komt or the preposition achter?
It's functionally connected to both! vandaankomen (to come from) is a separable verb, but when you specify exactly where someone is coming from, vandaan acts as the second half of the circumposition (achter ... vandaan). It sits right after the noun phrase (de rots) to close the location loop.
Could I just say van achter de rots instead of achter de rots vandaan?
Yes, that is also correct and means the same thing. Dutch often lets you choose between putting two prepositions before the noun (van achter de rots) or wrapping them around the noun as a circumposition (achter de rots vandaan). The circumposition is very common and sounds highly natural when emphasizing the actual movement away from the location.
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