Breakdown of De boer is zo bezorgd en wanhopig dat hij niet eet.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
en
and
niet
not
eten
to eat
zo
so (to such a degree)
de boer
the farmer
dat
that (conjunction)
wanhopig
desperate
bezorgd
worried
Questions & Answers about De boer is zo bezorgd en wanhopig dat hij niet eet.
How does the zo ... dat structure work in this sentence?
It connects a description with its result. The word zo (so) goes before the adjectives bezorgd en wanhopig, and dat (that) starts a new clause to show the result of him being so worried: he doesn't eat.
Why is the verb eet at the very end of the sentence?
The word dat is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a subclause and forces the conjugated verb in that clause (eet) to move all the way to the end.
In a normal sentence we say hij eet niet. Why is it dat hij niet eet here?
In a normal main clause, niet usually comes after the conjugated verb. However, because dat pushes the verb to the end of the clause, niet stays in its normal place and ends up directly in front of eet.
The word wanhopig means desperate. Is there a trick to remembering this vocabulary word?
Yes! You can break it down. The prefix wan- indicates something bad or a lack of something. The root is hoop (hope), and -ig turns it into an adjective. So it literally translates to lacking hope, or desperate.
Why don't the adjectives bezorgd and wanhopig get an -e ending here?
Because they are used independently after the verb is. Adjectives usually only get an -e ending when they come directly in front of the noun they describe, like in the phrase de bezorgde boer (the worried farmer).
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