Breakdown of Vaders toost moet perfect zijn, koste wat het kost.
zijn
to be
de vader
the father
het
it
kosten
to cost
moeten
to have to, must
wat
that / which (relative)
perfect
perfect
de toost
the toast
Questions & Answers about Vaders toost moet perfect zijn, koste wat het kost.
Why is the verb koste instead of kost in the second clause?
koste is the present subjunctive form of kosten (to cost). In modern Dutch, the subjunctive is rarely used to form new sentences, but it survives in fixed expressions like koste wat het kost (at any cost). It literally translates to 'may it cost what it costs'. You form the present subjunctive by taking the infinitive and removing the final -n.
Why does Vaders not have an apostrophe before the s?
In Dutch, you only use an apostrophe for possession if adding an s directly to the noun would change how the final vowel is pronounced (for example, oma's to keep the 'a' long). Since vader ends in a consonant, adding an s directly doesn't change the vowel pronunciation, so it is written as one attached word: Vaders.
Does adding koste wat het kost at the end of the sentence change the word order?
No, when placed at the end, it acts as a standalone adverbial phrase. The main clause (Vaders toost moet perfect zijn) keeps its normal word order. However, if you moved the phrase to the very beginning (Koste wat het kost, moet Vaders toost perfect zijn), it would take up the first position and trigger inversion in the main clause.
Can I also use the word toost when talking about toasted bread?
No, de toost specifically refers to raising a glass or giving a speech in honor of someone. If you are talking about the food, you should use the English loanword de toast or the phrase geroosterd brood.
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