Breakdown of Wie hebzuchtig is, verliest wat hij heeft.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
hebben
to have
wie
who
verliezen
to lose
wat
that / which (relative)
hebzuchtig
greedy
Questions & Answers about Wie hebzuchtig is, verliest wat hij heeft.
Why do we use Wie here instead of Degene die (The one who)?
Both are grammatically correct, but Wie acts as a free relative pronoun here. This means it absorbs both the subject and the relative pronoun into a single word, meaning 'whoever' or 'he who'. It is much more elegant and commonly used in general statements, warnings, and proverbs like this one.
Why does the main verb verliest come immediately after the comma?
This is because of the Dutch verb-second (V2) rule. The entire first clause, Wie hebzuchtig is, acts as a single block of information that functions as the subject for the main sentence. Because that entire clause takes up the first position, the main verb verliest must immediately follow it in the second position.
Is wat in the second half acting as a question word?
No, just like Wie, wat here is a free relative pronoun. It means 'that which' or 'the things that'. Instead of saying datgene wat hij heeft (that which he has), you can use wat to independently stand in as the direct object of the verb verliest.
What is the literal breakdown of the word hebzuchtig?
It comes from the noun hebzucht (greed). This is a combination of the verb stem heb (from hebben, to have) and zucht (which normally means a sigh, but here means a strong craving or addiction). Adding the suffix -ig makes it an adjective, so it literally describes someone who has a 'craving to have'.
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