Breakdown of Het zij zo, zei de majesteit.
zijn
to be
zeggen
to say
het
it
zo
thus / in that way (resumptive)
Questions & Answers about Het zij zo, zei de majesteit.
Why is the verb zij used here instead of is?
This is a fixed expression using the present subjunctive form of the verb zijn (to be). The phrase Het zij zo literally translates to "It be so" and means "So be it". In modern Dutch, the present subjunctive is rarely used outside of fixed idioms like this one to express a concession, a wish, or a command.
Wait, doesn't zij usually mean "she" or "they"?
Yes, it normally does! But here, it is a complete coincidence. The pronoun zij (she/they) and the archaic subjunctive verb zij (be) look exactly the same but are entirely unrelated. Because Het zij zo is a set phrase, native speakers immediately recognize it as the verb.
Why does the second part of the sentence use inverted word order (zei de majesteit)?
In Dutch, a direct quote placed at the beginning of a sentence counts as the first block of information. Because Dutch uses verb-second (V2) word order, the speaking verb (zei) must come in the second position, immediately after the quote. This pushes the subject (de majesteit) after the verb.
Why does this phrase use zo instead of dus for "so"?
In Dutch, dus means "so" in the sense of "therefore" or "as a result". The word zo means "so" in the sense of "in this way" or "like this". Het zij zo means "Let it be this way", so dus wouldn't make sense here. Plus, since it is a formulaic idiom, the exact wording cannot be changed.