Breakdown of Zij werken onder vreemde omstandigheden.
zij
they
werken
to work
vreemd
strange / weird
onder
under, below
Questions & Answers about Zij werken onder vreemde omstandigheden.
What is the singular form of omstandigheden and why does the ending change so much?
The singular is omstandigheid (circumstance). This follows a specific rule: abstract nouns ending in the suffix -heid change to -heden in the plural, instead of just adding a normal -en or -s.
Why is it vreemde with an extra -e at the end?
Because omstandigheden is a plural noun. In Dutch, when an adjective comes directly before any plural noun, it gets an -e added to the end.
Does Dutch always use onder for "under circumstances" just like English?
Yes, the preposition matches perfectly! You will often see fixed phrases like onder deze omstandigheden (under these circumstances) using this exact word.
Why use zij instead of ze at the start of the sentence?
Both mean "they" and are completely correct here. Using zij simply adds emphasis, pointing out that they (and maybe not someone else) are working under strange circumstances. Ze is the default, unstressed choice you will hear in everyday speech.