Breakdown of De regelgeving wordt binnenkort gewijzigd, hetgeen de kwaliteit verbetert.
binnenkort
soon (in the near future)
worden
to become
de kwaliteit
the quality
verbeteren
to improve
wijzigen
to amend / to modify
hetgeen
which / that which (referring to a whole clause)
de regelgeving
the regulation
Questions & Answers about De regelgeving wordt binnenkort gewijzigd, hetgeen de kwaliteit verbetert.
What exactly does hetgeen refer to in this sentence?
It refers back to the entire preceding clause (De regelgeving wordt binnenkort gewijzigd). It acts as a formal way to say 'which' or 'a fact which'. Pointing back to a whole situation rather than just one specific noun is the primary function of hetgeen.
Is hetgeen commonly used in spoken Dutch, or could I use another word here?
hetgeen is very formal and mostly used in written or official Dutch. In everyday speech, you would almost always use wat instead: ...wat de kwaliteit verbetert. Both words can refer back to a complete sentence.
Why is the verb verbetert placed at the very end of the sentence?
Because hetgeen (just like wat or dat) introduces a relative clause. Relative clauses follow subordinate clause word order in Dutch, which means all verbs are pushed to the end of that clause.
Why does the Dutch sentence use wordt (is) when the English translation says 'will be'?
Dutch frequently uses the present tense to indicate the future, as long as there is a time word to make it clear. Here, the word binnenkort (soon) tells us it happens in the future. While you could say zal worden gewijzigd to force the future tense, simply using wordt with a time indicator is much more common and natural.
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