Breakdown of Dit schilderij is mooi, behalve dat het te abstract is.
zijn
to be
mooi
beautiful
te
too
dit
this (neuter)
het schilderij
the painting
het
it
behalve dat
except that
abstract
abstract
Questions & Answers about Dit schilderij is mooi, behalve dat het te abstract is.
Why is the verb is at the very end of the sentence?
The phrase behalve dat (except that) acts as a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause, which forces the conjugated verb (is) to the end of that clause: ... dat het te abstract is.
Could I just say behalve het te abstract is without dat?
No, you need dat here. Behalve on its own is a preposition used before a noun or pronoun, like in behalve dit schilderij (except this painting). When you want to introduce a full clause that contains its own subject and verb, you must use behalve dat.
Could I use buiten dat instead of behalve dat in this sentence?
You could, but it changes the meaning slightly. Behalve dat introduces a direct exception or a negative condition (except that). Buiten dat usually introduces an addition (besides the fact that / apart from). If you used buiten dat, it would sound less like a flaw subtracting from its beauty, and more like an additional random fact about the painting.
Why do we use het in the second clause to refer to the painting?
Because schilderij is a neuter noun (a het-word). When referring back to a het-word as a subject, you must use the pronoun het (it), rather than hij or zij.
Learn Dit schilderij is mooi, behalve dat het te abstract is 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