Learn Dutch: Dit raam moet verduisterd worden, opdat het perkament niet verkleurt. - This window must be darkened, so that the parchment does not discolor.

Dit raam moet verduisterd worden, opdat het perkament niet verkleurt.

This window must be darkened, so that the parchment does not discolor.

Breakdown of Dit raam moet verduisterd worden, opdat het perkament niet verkleurt.

Questions & Answers about Dit raam moet verduisterd worden, opdat het perkament niet verkleurt.

Why do we use opdat here, and how does it affect the sentence structure?

opdat is a formal subordinating conjunction meaning 'so that' or 'in order that'. Because it introduces a subordinate clause, it pushes the conjugated verb (verkleurt) to the very end of the sentence.

Is opdat commonly used in spoken Dutch, or could I use something else?

opdat is quite formal and mostly found in written texts. In everyday speech, you will almost always hear zodat instead. Just like opdat, zodat also pushes the verb to the end of the clause.

Let's look at moet verduisterd worden. Why do we need worden at the end?

This is the passive voice combined with a modal verb (moet). When you use a modal verb in a passive sentence, the main verb appears as a past participle (verduisterd) and is followed by the infinitive worden (to be or become). Literally, it means 'must darkened become'.

Both verduisterd and verkleurt start with ver-. Is there a pattern here?