Breakdown of We weten dat de verlichting boven de dansvloer is geïnstalleerd.
zijn
to be
wij
we
weten
to know (a fact)
dat
that (conjunction)
boven
above (preposition)
de dansvloer
the dance floor
installeren
to install (e.g. software, equipment)
de verlichting
the lighting
Questions & Answers about We weten dat de verlichting boven de dansvloer is geïnstalleerd.
Why does this sentence use is instead of wordt for the passive voice?
This is the "state passive" (toestandspassief). We use a form of zijn (like is) plus a past participle to describe the result or state of an action that is already finished. If we used wordt geïnstalleerd, it would mean the action is happening right now ("is being installed"). Here, the installation is complete, and we are just describing its current state: the lighting is already up.
Why are the verbs is geïnstalleerd pushed all the way to the end of the sentence?
The word dat (that) introduces a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, all verbs are sent to the end. The main clause is just We weten (We know), and everything after dat has to follow this verb-at-the-end rule.
Could I swap the order of the verbs at the end and say ...geïnstalleerd is?
Yes! In a subordinate clause, when you have a helping verb (is) and a past participle (geïnstalleerd), they can go in either order. Both is geïnstalleerd and geïnstalleerd is are completely correct and sound natural to Dutch speakers.
Why are there two dots (a trema) on the 'i' in geïnstalleerd?
The trema prevents a pronunciation mistake. The prefix for a past participle is ge-, and the verb starts with i (installeren). Without the dots (geinstalleerd), a reader might accidentally pronounce the e and i together as the Dutch "ei" sound (like in the word klein). The dots tell you that the i starts a brand new syllable.
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