Breakdown of Doordat de baas zich misrekende, werd het wanbeheer zichtbaar.
de baas
the boss
het
it
worden
to become
doordat
because of the fact that / because (cause)
zichtbaar
visible
het wanbeheer
the mismanagement
zich misrekenen
to miscalculate
Questions & Answers about Doordat de baas zich misrekende, werd het wanbeheer zichtbaar.
Both misrekende and wanbeheer use negative prefixes. What is the difference in nuance between mis- and wan- here?
Mis- usually means "wrongly" or "incorrectly," implying an error or mistake. So zich misrekenen means to calculate incorrectly (to miscalculate). Wan-, on the other hand, suggests something is fundamentally bad, chaotic, or deficient. Therefore, wanbeheer isn't just a simple mistake; it implies severely bad or chaotic management (mismanagement or malpractice).
Why is the word zich used before misrekende?
The Dutch verb for "to miscalculate" or "to make a mistake in judgment" is zich misrekenen. It is a reflexive verb, so you literally "miscalculate yourself." Even though we don't use a reflexive pronoun in the English translation, Dutch requires zich here to complete the verb.
Could I use omdat instead of doordat to start this sentence?
You could be understood, but doordat is more precise and natural here. Doordat specifically indicates a direct cause-and-effect relationship (A physically or logically causes B). Omdat is generally used to express a personal reason or motivation (why someone chose to do something). The mismanagement becoming visible was a direct, unintended consequence of the miscalculation, making doordat the perfect choice.
Why does the second part of the sentence start with the verb werd?
This is due to the V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire subordinate clause (Doordat de baas zich misrekende) acts as the first building block of the main sentence. Because the first position is taken up by this clause, the main verb (werd) must take the second position, triggering an inversion where the subject (het wanbeheer) comes immediately after the verb.
Learn Doordat de baas zich misrekende, werd het wanbeheer zichtbaar and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free