Ik weet niet of de doodsbange jongen in paniek raakt.
I do not know whether the terrified boy panics.
Questions & Answers about Ik weet niet of de doodsbange jongen in paniek raakt.
Why is the verb raakt at the very end of the sentence?
The word of (whether/if) introduces a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb is pushed to the end. So, instead of standard word order (de doodsbange jongen raakt in paniek), the structure forces raakt to the end: of de doodsbange jongen in paniek raakt.
Could I use als instead of of here, since both translate to "if" in English?
No, you must use of here. Use of for indirect yes/no questions (meaning "whether"). Use als for conditional statements (meaning "in the event that"). Because you are expressing uncertainty about a binary outcome (does he panic or not?), of is required.
Literally translated, how does the phrase in paniek raakt work?
The verb raken frequently means "to get into" a certain state, "to become", or "to hit". In paniek raken literally means "to get into a panic" or "to become panicked", which is the standard Dutch phrasing for the English verb "to panic".
How is the adjective doodsbange formed?