Dit is een bijzonder geval.

Breakdown of Dit is een bijzonder geval.

bijzonder
special
het geval
the case, the instance

Questions & Answers about Dit is een bijzonder geval.

How does the word geval connect to the lesson's grammar point, voor het geval (dat)?
The word geval simply means "case" or "situation". The conjunction you are learning in this lesson, voor het geval (dat), literally translates to "for the case (that)". Seeing geval on its own here helps you understand exactly where that expression comes from.
Why is there no -e on the end of the adjective bijzonder?
Because geval is a het-word (het geval). As a reminder from earlier lessons, when an adjective comes before a het-word and is preceded by een (a/an), it does not get the usual -e ending.
I've heard Dutch speakers use bijzonder when something is just strange. Does it mean "weird" or "special" here?
It can mean either! Bijzonder literally means "special" or "particular", but Dutch people frequently use it as a polite understatement for something that is strange, weird, or crazy. In a sentence like this, context will tell you if they mean a genuinely special situation or just a really weird one.

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