Breakdown of Weet jij of de fee in dat sprookje heeft kunnen helpen?
jij
you
hebben
to have
in
in
helpen
to help
Questions & Answers about Weet jij of de fee in dat sprookje heeft kunnen helpen?
Why does this sentence use kunnen instead of the past participle gekund?
In Dutch, when a modal verb like kunnen (to be able to) is used with another verb in the perfect tense (like helpen), it turns into an infinitive instead of a past participle. This is known as the double infinitive rule. That is why we say heeft kunnen helpen and not heeft gekund helpen.
Why does heeft have to come before kunnen helpen at the end of the sentence?
Because this is a subordinate clause with a double infinitive. Normally, you have some flexibility with where to put the conjugated auxiliary verb at the end of a clause. However, when there is a double infinitive (like kunnen helpen), the conjugated verb (here, heeft) must be placed in front of them.
Why is 'if' translated as of here instead of als?
You use of when 'if' means 'whether'—usually when expressing a doubt or an indirect yes/no question. You use als when 'if' sets up a condition, like 'If it rains, I will stay inside'. Because we are asking whether the fairy was able to help, of is correct.
Why does the phrase in dat sprookje come before the verbs?