Breakdown of Daarom wond de bruidegom zich op over de verscheurde sluier.
over
about
daarom
therefore
verscheuren
to tear up
zich opwinden
to get worked up
de bruidegom
the groom
de sluier
the veil
Questions & Answers about Daarom wond de bruidegom zich op over de verscheurde sluier.
Why is zich placed after de bruidegom instead of right after the verb wond?
Because de bruidegom is a full noun (a nominal subject). In inverted sentences, like this one starting with Daarom, the verb and a full-noun subject must stick together. The reflexive pronoun zich gets pushed until after the subject to avoid interrupting them. You can never say Daarom wond zich de bruidegom op.
What is the infinitive of the verb wond op, and how does it translate to 'got worked up'?
The infinitive is zich opwinden, which is a separable, reflexive verb meaning to get worked up, excited, or agitated. Because it is separable, the prefix op gets pushed later in the clause, while the conjugated past-tense verb wond takes the second position.
Is over always the preposition used with this verb to mean 'about'?
Yes, the fixed combination is zich opwinden over (to get worked up about). Fixed prepositions do not always translate word-for-word from English, so it is highly recommended to memorize over along with the verb.
Why does verscheurde have an -e at the end?
Here, verscheurde (torn) is a past participle functioning as an adjective. Because it comes before the noun sluier (which is a de word) and follows the definite article de, it receives the standard -e ending for inflected adjectives.
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