Breakdown of De man is zo woedend dat hij niets zegt.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
de man
the man
zeggen
to say
niets
nothing
zo
so (to such a degree)
dat
that (conjunction)
woedend
furious
Questions & Answers about De man is zo woedend dat hij niets zegt.
How does the 'zo ... dat' structure affect the word order in the second half of this sentence?
The word dat (that) is a subordinating conjunction, which means it kicks the conjugated verb to the very end of its clause. That is why the verb zegt comes after niets, instead of directly after the subject hij.
Why do we use zo here instead of heel or erg?
We use zo because we are setting up a cause and effect. Saying heel woedend just means 'very furious', but zo woedend dat... means 'so furious that...'. The word zo pairs with dat to show that his extreme anger is the direct cause of his silence.
Could I use boos instead of woedend here?
Yes, but it changes the intensity. While boos means 'angry', woedend means 'furious' or 'enraged'. Using woedend emphasizes an extreme level of anger, making it a great fit for a sentence where someone is too angry to speak.
Why is there no word for 'not' or 'doesn't' in the Dutch clause?
In English, we often say 'he doesn't say anything' using a negated verb. Dutch prefers to use a positive verb combined with a negative pronoun like niets (nothing). Literally, the Dutch clause translates as 'that he nothing says'. Adding niet here would be incorrect.
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