Breakdown of De jongen is zo dolblij dat hij lacht.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
de jongen
the boy
lachen
to laugh
zo
so (to such a degree)
dat
that (conjunction)
dolblij
overjoyed
Questions & Answers about De jongen is zo dolblij dat hij lacht.
How does the zo ... dat structure affect the word order in the second half of the sentence?
The word dat acts as a subordinating conjunction. This introduces a dependent clause and pushes the verb to the end of the sentence. Because the clause here is simply hij lacht, the verb is naturally at the end. If you added more details, they would go before the verb, like this: ... dat hij hard lacht (that he laughs loudly).
What does the dol part of dolblij mean?
The word dol literally means crazy or mad. In Dutch, it is often attached to adjectives to intensify them, similar to saying crazy happy in English. This makes dolblij a strong compound adjective meaning overjoyed or thrilled.
Does lacht mean laughs or smiles?
The verb lachen (conjugated here as lacht) specifically means to laugh. If you wanted to say the boy is so happy that he smiles, you would use the related verb glimlachen (to smile), making the end of the sentence ... dat hij glimlacht.
Could I use dus instead of zo to mean so in this sentence?
No, because here so modifies the adjective dolblij to show the degree of his happiness. You must use zo for this. The word dus is a conjunction meaning therefore or as a result, which links two full clauses rather than modifying an adjective (for example: Hij is dolblij, dus hij lacht - He is overjoyed, therefore he laughs).
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