Breakdown of De vrouw weigerde omdat ze niets zweverigs geloofde.
de vrouw
the woman
geloven
to believe
niets
nothing
ze
they; she (unstressed form of zij) / them (object)
omdat
because (subordinating)
weigeren
to refuse
zweverig
woolly / airy-fairy
Questions & Answers about De vrouw weigerde omdat ze niets zweverigs geloofde.
Why is there an -s at the end of zweverigs?
When you combine an indefinite pronoun like niets (nothing), iets (something), or wat (something/some) with an adjective, the adjective gets an extra -s at the end. So, "nothing woolly" translates to niets zweverigs.
Why is geloofde at the very end of the sentence?
The word omdat (because) introduces a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, all verbs are pushed to the end. Since geloofde is the only verb in this part of the sentence, it goes at the very end.
If we changed "believed" to the present perfect ("has believed"), how would the word order work?
The present perfect uses two verbs: heeft geloofd. In a subordinate clause, these two verbs form a cluster at the end. Thanks to the "red vs. green" word order rules you are learning, you can choose the order. Both omdat ze niets zweverigs heeft geloofd and omdat ze niets zweverigs geloofd heeft are completely correct!
Where does the word zweverig come from?
It comes from the verb zweven, which means "to float" or "to hover". Calling an idea or person zweverig literally means they are "floaty"—metaphorically ungrounded, overly spiritual, vague, or "airy-fairy". The English translation "woolly" captures this vague, unrealistic feeling.
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