Breakdown of Wat dit platform betreft, is de catalogus echter erg klein.
zijn
to be
klein
small
erg
very / really
dit
this (neuter)
echter
however
betreffen
to concern / to regard
wat
that / which (relative)
het platform
the platform (general, stage)
de catalogus
the catalog
Questions & Answers about Wat dit platform betreft, is de catalogus echter erg klein.
How does the wat ... betreft structure work to frame a topic here?
It acts as a bipartite (two-part) phrase that wraps around the noun or pronoun you want to highlight. In this sentence, it wraps around dit platform to mean "regarding this platform" or "as for this platform".
Why does the main clause say is de catalogus instead of de catalogus is?
The entire phrase Wat dit platform betreft occupies the first position in the sentence. Because Dutch strictly enforces the Verb-Second (V2) rule in main clauses, the verb is must come immediately after the comma. This pushes the subject de catalogus to the other side of the verb, causing an inversion.
Why is echter (however) placed after the subject rather than right after the comma?
Echter is an adverb, not a coordinating conjunction like maar (but). Because the first position is taken by the topic clause and the second position must be the verb is, the subject de catalogus has to come next. This pushes echter further into the sentence, whereas in English we often put "however" right at the start of the clause.
Can I use this same wat ... betreft structure with pronouns instead of nouns?
Absolutely. A very common phrase in daily Dutch is wat mij betreft (as far as I'm concerned / if it were up to me). It triggers the exact same inversion in the following clause. For example: Wat mij betreft, is dat een goed idee (As far as I'm concerned, that's a good idea).
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