Breakdown of Dat gezegd hebbende, respecteren we hun soevereiniteit.
hebben
to have
zeggen
to say
hun
their
dat
that (het-words)
Questions & Answers about Dat gezegd hebbende, respecteren we hun soevereiniteit.
How exactly does Dat gezegd hebbende form the phrase "That having been said"?
It combines the past participle gezegd (said) with the present participle of hebben, which is hebbende (having). This literal "That having said" is a fixed, formal expression in Dutch used as a rhetorical bridge, exactly like its English counterpart.
Why is the word order respecteren we instead of we respecteren?
The absolute participial phrase Dat gezegd hebbende occupies the first position in the sentence. Because Dutch follows the V2 (verb-second) rule, the main verb respecteren must take the second position, causing the subject we to invert.
Is the present participle hebbende used a lot in everyday spoken Dutch?
Generally, no. Present participles usually sound very formal, literary, or archaic in Dutch. However, Dat gezegd hebbende is a prominent exception. It has become a very common fixed phrase in news, debates, and business meetings to introduce a contrasting point.
What should I know about pronouncing soevereiniteit?
Like many Dutch nouns ending in the French-derived suffix -iteit (which corresponds to "-ity" in English), the word stress falls firmly on the final syllable. You emphasize the very end: so-ve-rei-ni-TEIT.