Breakdown of Wat de nieuwe thriller betreft, is de eerste aflevering spannend.
zijn
to be
eerste
first (1st)
nieuw
new
spannend
exciting
Questions & Answers about Wat de nieuwe thriller betreft, is de eerste aflevering spannend.
How does the phrase wat ... betreft work in this sentence?
The structure wat [topic] betreft is a standard way to say "as for [topic]" or "regarding [topic]". Here, it wraps around the noun phrase de nieuwe thriller. Because the verb betreffen means "to concern", you can think of the literal translation as "what the new thriller concerns".
Why does the main clause start with the verb is instead of the subject de eerste aflevering?
This is due to the Verb-Second (V2) rule. The entire introductory phrase Wat de nieuwe thriller betreft acts as the first block of information in the sentence. Since the finite verb must come second, is steps in right after the comma, causing inversion and pushing the subject (de eerste aflevering) to the other side of the verb.
Could I use a pronoun inside this structure instead of a full noun phrase?
Absolutely. If you had already mentioned the thriller, you could just say Wat dat betreft (As for that). You can also use object pronouns for people, such as Wat mij betreft (As far as I am concerned / As for me). The word order rules remain exactly the same.
Is the comma after betreft mandatory?
Yes, when you put a subordinate clause or a long introductory phrase like this at the start of a sentence, Dutch grammar requires a comma before the main clause begins. It provides a visual cue that the topic is set and the main V2 clause is about to start with its verb.