Breakdown of Dat gezegd hebbende, was de diplomaat gisteren erg boos.
zijn
to be
hebben
to have
zeggen
to say
erg
very / really
boos
angry
dat
that (het-words)
gisteren
yesterday
de diplomaat
the diplomat
Questions & Answers about Dat gezegd hebbende, was de diplomaat gisteren erg boos.
Why does this sentence use hebbende along with gezegd?
This is a perfect participial construction used to frame the sentence. It combines the past participle gezegd (said) with the present participle of the auxiliary verb, hebbende (having). Just like "that having been said" in English, it signals that despite the previous context, a new or contrasting point is about to be made.
Why does the main clause start with the verb was instead of de diplomaat was?
The entire phrase Dat gezegd hebbende acts as an adverbial phrase occupying the first position in the sentence. Because Dutch main clauses use V2 (verb-second) word order, the finite verb was must immediately follow this opening phrase. This triggers inversion, placing the subject de diplomaat directly after the verb.
In English we often shorten this to just "That said." Can I just use Dat gezegd in Dutch?
No, you generally shouldn't shorten it. While English speakers frequently drop "having been," Dutch relies on the full expression Dat gezegd hebbende for this specific transition. Saying just Dat gezegd as a sentence starter feels grammatically incomplete in Dutch.
Is a phrase like Dat gezegd hebbende common in everyday spoken Dutch?
It is relatively formal, though you will definitely hear it in news broadcasts, debates, or professional settings (which fits perfectly in a sentence about a diplomaat). In casual, everyday conversation, native speakers are much more likely to just use a simple connector like maar (but) or a word like toch (anyway/still).
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