Word
De zool, die erg dik is, is vervangbaar.
Meaning
The sole, which is very thick, is replaceable.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of De zool, die erg dik is, is vervangbaar.
zijn
to be
erg
very / really
die
who / that (relative pronoun)
dik
thick; fat
Questions & Answers about De zool, die erg dik is, is vervangbaar.
Why are there commas around die erg dik is?
This is a non-restrictive relative clause (an uitbreidende relatieve bijzin). It adds extra information about the sole rather than specifying which exact sole you mean. Just like in English, we use commas to separate this extra information from the main sentence.
How would the meaning change if we removed the first comma?
Without a comma before die, it becomes a restrictive relative clause (beperkende relatieve bijzin). That would imply there are several soles, and you are specifically pointing out the thick one. Note that even in a restrictive clause, Dutch often keeps the second comma to separate the two verbs for readability: De zool die erg dik is, is vervangbaar.
Why are there two is verbs right next to each other?
This happens because the relative clause interrupts the main clause. The first is belongs to the relative clause (die erg dik is), which pushes its verb to the end. The second is belongs to the main clause (De zool ... is vervangbaar). Once the relative clause ends, the main clause simply resumes.
Why do we use die as the relative pronoun here?