Breakdown of De uitgang is in januari geblokkeerd.
zijn
to be
in
in
januari
January
blokkeren
to block
de uitgang
the exit
Questions & Answers about De uitgang is in januari geblokkeerd.
Why does is geblokkeerd translate to "was blocked"?
Dutch uses the helper verb zijn (here as is) for the passive voice in the perfect tense. While English says "was blocked", Dutch uses is geblokkeerd to show the action was completely finished in the past.
How would a public sign use the bare infinitive to say "Do not block the exit"?
Signs often use the bare infinitive at the end of the phrase to state general rules or commands. A sign would say De uitgang niet blokkeren (literally: "The exit not to block").
Could I use werd instead of is here?
Yes, but De uitgang werd in januari geblokkeerd emphasizes the actual process of the blocking happening back then. Using is focuses on the completed result, which is the most natural way to talk about finished past events in Dutch.
Why does in januari come before geblokkeerd?
The conjugated verb (is) takes the second position in the sentence, pushing the past participle (geblokkeerd) to the very end. The time phrase in januari naturally fits in the middle block between the two verb parts.
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