Breakdown of We hebben de strenge regelgeving gerespecteerd, hetgeen de baas waardeert.
hebben
to have
de baas
the boss
streng
strict
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
respecteren
to respect
waarderen
to appreciate
hetgeen
which / that which (referring to a whole clause)
de regelgeving
the regulation
Questions & Answers about We hebben de strenge regelgeving gerespecteerd, hetgeen de baas waardeert.
Why use hetgeen here instead of wat?
hetgeen is a formal relative pronoun that means "which" or "that which". Both hetgeen and wat are grammatically correct to refer back to a whole previous clause (the fact that you respected the rules). However, hetgeen is used in formal, written, or business contexts, whereas wat is what you will hear in everyday speech.
Could I use die instead of hetgeen to mean "which"?
No, and this is a common trap! If you used die here, it would point back to the specific noun de regelgeving, meaning the boss appreciates the strict rules themselves. Because you want to refer back to the entire action of the previous sentence (the fact that you respected those rules), you must use wat or the formal hetgeen.
Why does the verb waardeert go at the very end of the sentence?
hetgeen introduces a relative clause, which functions as a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb is pushed to the end. Therefore, the normal order of de baas waardeert changes into hetgeen de baas waardeert.
Why does streng get an -e ending to become strenge?
Nouns ending in -ing in Dutch, like regelgeving, are almost always de words (feminine). When a de word is preceded by the definite article de, any adjective placed before it must take the -e ending.
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