Dat gezegd hebbende, zullen we de vrede beschermen.
That having been said, we will protect the peace.
Breakdown of Dat gezegd hebbende, zullen we de vrede beschermen.
hebben
to have
zeggen
to say
dat
that (het-words)
zullen
shall / will
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
beschermen
to protect
de vrede
the peace
Questions & Answers about Dat gezegd hebbende, zullen we de vrede beschermen.
How does the phrase dat gezegd hebbende work grammatically, and is it common in spoken Dutch?
It is an absolute participial construction using the present participle of hebben (hebbende) combined with the past participle gezegd. It translates literally to "that said having". While highly useful for rhetorical framing in formal writing or debates, it sounds quite stiff in casual conversation, where you would more likely hear a transition like maar goed.
Why does zullen come before we here? Does the participial phrase count as the first position?
Yes! Even though Dat gezegd hebbende is a rhetorical framing device set off by a comma, it occupies the first position in the sentence. Because Dutch strictly follows the V2 (verb-second) rule in main clauses, the finite verb zullen must come immediately after it, causing the subject we to swap places (inversion).
Why is it hebbende with an '-e' at the end instead of just hebbend?
In modern Dutch, present participles usually only get an -e ending when used as adjectives before a noun (like een blaffende hond). However, in these formal, fixed absolute constructions, the -e is a frozen remnant of older Dutch grammar cases. Expressions like dat gezegd hebbende or alles in aanmerking nemende always keep this -e ending.
Can I use beschermen for protecting abstract concepts like peace, or is it only for physical protection?
You can absolutely use beschermen for abstract concepts like de vrede (the peace), rechten (rights), or vrijheid (freedom). It works exactly like the English word "protect" in both physical and abstract contexts.
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