Breakdown of Dat gezegd hebbende, liet de delegatie het document vertalen.
hebben
to have
zeggen
to say
dat
that (het-words)
het document
the document
vertalen
to translate
laten
to have (something) done
de delegatie
the delegation
Questions & Answers about Dat gezegd hebbende, liet de delegatie het document vertalen.
How exactly is the phrase Dat gezegd hebbende constructed?
It is an absolute participial construction. hebbende is the present participle (the -end form) of hebben (to have). It combines with the past participle gezegd (said) to mean having said. The whole phrase Dat gezegd hebbende acts as a fixed rhetorical frame meaning having said that or that having been said.
Why does the verb liet come immediately after the comma?
In Dutch, the verb-second rule applies here. The entire participial phrase Dat gezegd hebbende occupies the first position in the sentence. Therefore, the main verb liet must take the second position, causing it to swap places with the subject de delegatie.
The English translation says had the document translated. Why does Dutch use the infinitive vertalen instead of a past participle like vertaald?
This is the Dutch causative construction. When you arrange for someone else to do a task, you use laten (here in the past tense as liet) plus the infinitive of the action verb. Unlike English, which uses have plus a past participle, Dutch always uses laten plus an infinitive, as in liet het document vertalen.
Is Dat gezegd hebbende something I would use in everyday casual conversation?
It leans heavily toward formal, written, or professional language, making it perfect for news reports about a delegation. While it is a common fixed expression, native speakers usually prefer simpler alternatives like maar goed (anyway) or toch (still) in casual speech.
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