Breakdown of Dat dit wonder zo verbazingwekkend en onbegrijpelijk is!
zijn
to be
en
and
dit
this (neuter)
zo
so (to such a degree)
Questions & Answers about Dat dit wonder zo verbazingwekkend en onbegrijpelijk is!
Why does the verb is go at the very end of this sentence?
This is an independent exclamatory dat-clause. Even though it stands alone as a complete thought to express strong emotion or surprise, starting with dat makes it behave structurally like a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb is pushed to the very end.
How is the long adjective verbazingwekkend constructed?
It is a compound word made of verbazing (amazement or astonishment) and wekkend (the present participle of the verb wekken, which means to wake, induce, or arouse). Literally, it translates to "amazement-arousing."
Why do we use dit instead of deze before wonder?
Wonder is a neuter noun in Dutch (het wonder). When pointing out a specific neuter noun, you must use the demonstrative pronoun dit (this) instead of deze, which is reserved for de-words.
What are the building blocks of the word onbegrijpelijk?
It comes from the verb begrijpen (to understand). The suffix -elijk functions like the English "-able" or "-ible", creating begrijpelijk (understandable). The prefix on- makes it negative, resulting in "incomprehensible."