Breakdown of Hij heeft de clausule geschonden, hetgeen onacceptabel is.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
hebben
to have
onacceptabel
unacceptable
hetgeen
which / that which (referring to a whole clause)
de clausule
the clause
schenden
to violate / to breach
Questions & Answers about Hij heeft de clausule geschonden, hetgeen onacceptabel is.
Why do we use hetgeen here instead of a normal relative pronoun like die or dat?
Hetgeen does not refer back to a single noun (like de clausule). Instead, it refers to the entire preceding situation: the fact that he breached the clause. When referring back to a whole sentence, you cannot use die or dat.
Can I use wat instead of hetgeen in this sentence?
Yes, absolutely. In everyday spoken and written Dutch, you would almost always use wat here (..., wat onacceptabel is). Hetgeen is a very formal alternative, often used in legal, academic, or official contexts. This formal tone perfectly matches the legal vocabulary of the sentence (de clausule schenden).
Why does the verb is go at the very end of the sentence?
Because hetgeen introduces a relative clause, which is a type of subclause. This means it triggers subclause word order, pushing the conjugated verb (is) to the very end of the phrase.
Geschonden is a past participle, but what is the original verb?
The infinitive is schenden (to violate, breach, or damage). It is an irregular verb, so the simple past tense is schond and the past participle is geschonden.
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