Breakdown of Dat ze zowaar zo'n onvoorstelbaar verhaal verzinnen!
het verhaal
the story
ze
they; she (unstressed form of zij) / them (object)
dat
that (conjunction)
zo'n
such a
zowaar
actually (surprisingly)
onvoorstelbaar
unimaginable
verzinnen
to make up
Questions & Answers about Dat ze zowaar zo'n onvoorstelbaar verhaal verzinnen!
Why does this sentence start with dat but doesn't connect to a main clause?
This is an independent exclamatory dat-clause. In Dutch, you can use a subordinate clause structure (starting with dat and pushing the verb verzinnen to the end) all on its own to express strong emotion, like surprise or indignation. It implies an invisible main clause like 'I can't believe that...' at the beginning.
What is the exact meaning of zowaar here, and could I just use echt?
Zowaar means something like 'actually' or 'believe it or not,' and it specifically highlights that something is surprising or goes against expectations. While echt (really) also emphasizes truth, zowaar adds a much stronger layer of disbelief or astonishment, which fits the tone of this exclamation perfectly.
Why doesn't the adjective onvoorstelbaar get an -e ending here?
The noun verhaal is a het-word (het verhaal). When a het-word is preceded by an indefinite word like een or zo'n (which is short for zo een), the adjective does not get the usual -e ending.
Could I use zo instead of zo'n before onvoorstelbaar verhaal?
No, because verhaal is a singular countable noun that needs an article here. Zo'n translates to 'such a' and acts as the indefinite article. You would only use zo (so) directly before an adjective if it wasn't followed by a noun, like in the phrase Dat is zo onvoorstelbaar!
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