Breakdown of Hij schijnt iets te verspreiden wat helemaal nep is.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
helemaal
completely
iets
something
nep
fake
te
to (infinitive marker)
wat
that / which (relative)
schijnen
to seem / be said to (hearsay)
verspreiden
to spread (scatter, distribute)
Questions & Answers about Hij schijnt iets te verspreiden wat helemaal nep is.
How does this structure compare to saying Het schijnt dat hij iets verspreidt?
Both sentences mean the same thing, but the structure here is more fluid. Instead of using a dummy subject (Het) followed by a dat-clause, we make the actual person (Hij) the subject of the main verb (schijnt). The action he is doing is then attached using te plus the infinitive (te verspreiden).
Why do we use wat instead of dat to mean "that" in this sentence?
Normally, you use die or dat as relative pronouns to point back to a specific noun. However, when you refer back to an indefinite pronoun like iets (something), niets (nothing), or alles (everything), Dutch requires you to use wat.
Could I use lijkt instead of schijnt here?
You could, but it changes the nuance. Schijnen usually implies hearsay or a rumor, meaning you heard from others that he is spreading fake things. Lijken implies a conclusion based on your own direct observation, meaning you personally looked at what he is spreading and it looks fake to you.
Why is the verb is placed at the very end of the sentence?
The phrase wat helemaal nep is is a relative clause, which is a type of subordinate clause that gives more information about iets. In Dutch, verbs in a subordinate clause are pushed to the end of that clause, which is why is comes after helemaal nep.
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