Breakdown of Ik zag het ongeluk gebeuren; dat is nou eenmaal onvermijdelijk.
ik
I
zijn
to be
zien
to see
dat
that (het-words)
Questions & Answers about Ik zag het ongeluk gebeuren; dat is nou eenmaal onvermijdelijk.
What exactly does nou eenmaal add to the second half of this sentence?
It adds a strong sense of resignation. While dat is onvermijdelijk just states a cold fact ("that is unavoidable"), adding nou eenmaal implies "that's just the way things are, and we have to accept it." It is the perfect modal phrase to reinforce the inevitability of a situation.
Why is gebeuren in the full infinitive here, instead of a past tense like "gebeurde"?
This happens because of the verb zag (from zien, to see). Just like in English ("I saw the accident happen"), verbs of perception in Dutch take an infinitive for the observed action. Remember that in Dutch, this infinitive (gebeuren) must be placed at the very end of the clause.
Could I use gewoon instead of nou eenmaal in this sentence?
Grammatically, yes. You could say dat is gewoon onvermijdelijk ("that is simply unavoidable"). However, gewoon just emphasizes the fact, whereas nou eenmaal carries a specific emotional undertone of throwing your hands up and accepting an unchangeable reality.
How can I break down the word onvermijdelijk to remember it better?
It is built around the verb vermijden (to avoid). The prefix on- makes it negative (un-), and the suffix -elijk turns it into an adjective (-able). Put it all together, and it perfectly translates to "unavoidable."