Breakdown of Ze gaan de diefstal onderzoeken, voor zover er bewijs is.
zijn
to be
gaan
to go / to go off (of an alarm)
er
there (existential)
ze
they; she (unstressed form of zij) / them (object)
onderzoeken
to investigate
het bewijs
the evidence
voor zover
as far as / to the extent that
de diefstal
the theft
Questions & Answers about Ze gaan de diefstal onderzoeken, voor zover er bewijs is.
Why is the verb is at the very end of the sentence?
The phrase voor zover (as far as) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause, which forces the conjugated verb in that clause (is) to move all the way to the end.
What is the word er doing in the second half of the sentence?
Here, er acts just like the word 'there' does in 'there is evidence.' Because bewijs (evidence) is an indefinite subject, Dutch requires er to introduce it. In a standalone sentence it would be er is bewijs, but the conjunction moves the verb to the end.
Could I use zolang instead of voor zover?
You could, but it changes the nuance. Zolang means 'as long as,' making the investigation strictly dependent on evidence being present. Voor zover means 'to the extent that' or 'insofar as.' It implies they will investigate exactly as far as the evidence allows, restricting the scope rather than just setting a condition.
Why does onderzoeken come after de diefstal?
The first part of the sentence uses gaan (are going to) to express a future intention. In Dutch, the auxiliary verb (gaan) takes the second position, while the main infinitive verb (onderzoeken) is pushed to the end of that clause, placing it after the object (de diefstal).
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