Breakdown of De oude patiënt is ten gevolge van het virus overleden.
zijn
to be
oud
old
de patiënt
the patient
ten gevolge van
as a result of
het virus
the virus
overlijden
to pass away / to die (formal)
Questions & Answers about De oude patiënt is ten gevolge van het virus overleden.
Why does ten gevolge van have those extra letters (ten instead of te, gevolge instead of gevolg)?
These are remnants of the old Dutch case system. While Dutch no longer actively uses cases in everyday grammar, they survive in fixed, formal expressions like ten gevolge van (as a result of). You don't need to learn the old grammar rules; just treat the whole phrase as a single chunk of vocabulary.
Could I just say door het virus instead of ten gevolge van het virus?
Yes, and in spoken Dutch you usually would. Ten gevolge van is a highly formal preposition. You will mostly encounter it in news reports, police statements, medical files, or legal documents. In everyday conversation, simpler words like door or vanwege are preferred.
Why do we use is here instead of heeft for the perfect tense?
The verb overlijden (to pass away) describes a physical change of state. In Dutch, verbs that express a clear transition from one state to another (like dying, falling, stopping, or growing) take zijn as their auxiliary verb rather than hebben.
Why is there no ge- added to the past participle overleden?
Overlijden is an inseparable verb. Because the prefix over- is permanently attached to the verb and the vocal stress falls on the -lij- syllable, it does not get the standard ge- prefix in the past participle.
Learn De oude patiënt is ten gevolge van het virus overleden and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free