Learn Dutch: Het voorval was schokkend bizar en compleet onverklaarbaar. - The incident was shockingly bizarre and completely inexplicable.

Because they are functioning as adverbs of degree, modifying the adjectives bizar and onverklaarbaar. In Dutch, adverbs do not take an -e ending. If they were used as adjectives directly describing a noun (like a shocking incident), they would follow the normal adjective inflection rules.

bizar and onverklaarbaar are adjectives, so why do they also lack an -e ending?

They are used predicatively, which means they come after a linking verb (was) to describe the subject, rather than sitting directly in front of a noun. In Dutch, predicative adjectives never get an -e ending, regardless of the noun's gender or whether it is plural.

What is the difference between voorval and gebeurtenis?

Both translate to 'event' or 'incident', but voorval generally refers to a specific, often unexpected or negative incident. This makes it a great fit for something described as shockingly bizarre. Gebeurtenis is a broader, more neutral term for any general event.

How does the suffix -baar work in onverklaarbaar?