Question 1

How does the verb eruitzien (to look like) split up in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Eruitzien is a separable verb that has er permanently attached to it in its dictionary form. In a main clause like this, the conjugated verb (zie) takes the normal verb position, and the prefix (uit) gets kicked to the very end of the clause. The er behaves like a small adverb and typically lands right after the subject (je). That gives us the structure: ...zie je er [adjective] uit.

Question 2

Why is the word order zie je instead of je ziet?

Accepted Answer

This happens because of inversion. The sentence begins with the prepositional phrase Met dat korte kapsel (With that short hairstyle). Whenever you start a main clause with something other than the subject, the verb and subject must swap places so the conjugated verb can remain in the second grammatical position.

Question 3

Kapsel is a het word. Why is the adjective korte instead of just kort?

Accepted Answer

You only drop the -e ending on an adjective before a het word if you are using een (a/an) or no article at all. Here, the noun is preceded by the demonstrative word dat (that). Because dat makes the noun specific (just like the word het would), the adjective gets the standard -e ending.

Question 4

What is the function of toch at the end of this sentence?

Accepted Answer

When you put toch? at the end of a statement, it turns the sentence into a tag question. It is the Dutch equivalent of adding "right?", "don't you?", or "isn't it?" in English. You use it when you expect the listener to agree with you.

Met dat korte kapsel zie je er elegant uit, toch?

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