Je moet de klei vormen zoals de pottenbakker dat doet.
You must shape the clay as the potter does it.
Breakdown of Je moet de klei vormen zoals de pottenbakker dat doet.
doen
to do
dat
that (het-words)
moeten
to have to, must
je
you (unstressed form of jij)
zoals
such as, like
de klei
the clay
vormen
to shape / to form, constitute
de pottenbakker
the potter
Questions & Answers about Je moet de klei vormen zoals de pottenbakker dat doet.
Why is the verb doet at the very end of the sentence?
The word zoals (meaning as or like) is a subordinating conjunction. It introduces a dependent clause, which pushes the conjugated verb (doet) to the very end of that clause.
Why is the word dat used before doet?
In Dutch, when you refer back to an entire action mentioned earlier (in this case, shaping the clay), you use dat as a placeholder object. While English often just says does or does it, Dutch requires dat to point back to the specific action.
Why is vormen placed before zoals rather than right after moet?
In the main clause Je moet de klei vormen, the conjugated modal verb moet takes the second position. The second verb, the infinitive vormen, must go at the end of this main block of information, right before the new zoals clause begins.
How does the word pottenbakker break down?
It is a compound word that literally means pots baker. It is made of potten (the plural of pot) and bakker (baker). In Dutch, a potter is someone who bakes pots!
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