Breakdown of Sommige peilingen weerspiegelen de werkelijkheid beter dan dat we vermoeden.
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
dan
than
beter
better
dat
that (conjunction)
vermoeden
to suspect
sommige
some
de werkelijkheid
the reality
de peiling
the poll
weerspiegelen
to reflect
Questions & Answers about Sommige peilingen weerspiegelen de werkelijkheid beter dan dat we vermoeden.
Why do we need dat after dan in this sentence?
When you are comparing something to an entire action or hypothetical situation rather than just a noun, Dutch uses dan dat to introduce it. The word dat acts as a bridge, turning the comparison into a subordinate clause. Because it's a subordinate clause, the verb vermoeden is pushed to the very end of the sentence.
Could I just drop dat and say beter dan we vermoeden?
Yes, you can. In both spoken and written Dutch, it is common and grammatically accepted to drop the dat here. However, using dan dat is often preferred when the comparison involves a longer or more complex clause, as it clearly signals the structure to the reader.
The verb weerspiegelen is built from weer and spiegelen. Is it a separable verb?
Surprisingly, no! Even though it comes from weer (back/again) and spiegelen (to mirror), weerspiegelen is an inseparable verb. You say Ze weerspiegelen de werkelijkheid, not Ze spiegelen de werkelijkheid weer. Also, because it is inseparable, its past participle doesn't get a ge- prefix: it is simply weerspiegeld.
What is the exact nuance of vermoeden here compared to just using denken (to think)?
Vermoeden translates to "to suspect" or "to presume." While denken is a neutral word for "to think," vermoeden implies a hunch or an educated guess based on limited evidence. It fits perfectly here because understanding how polls relate to reality involves a bit of guesswork.
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