Breakdown of Weet nog niet of ik verhinderd ben.
ik
I
zijn
to be
niet
not
weten
to know (a fact)
nog
still, yet / more, another (with a quantity)
of
if / whether
verhinderd
unable to attend / prevented
Questions & Answers about Weet nog niet of ik verhinderd ben.
Where is the subject for Weet?
It has been left out! This is an example of 'conversational topic drop', which is the focus of this lesson. In casual spoken Dutch or quick text messages, an unstressed subject at the very beginning of a sentence is often omitted. The full clause would normally be Ik weet nog niet.
Is verhinderd zijn the standard way to say you can't make it to something?
Yes, verhinderd zijn (literally: to be hindered or prevented) is the standard, slightly polite way to say you are unable to attend an appointment, meeting, or event. Even though the missing subject makes the grammar of this sentence very casual, it is perfectly normal to use this word in a quick message to a colleague or friend.
Why use of here instead of als for 'if'?
Native English speakers often mix these up because English uses 'if' for two completely different grammatical concepts. You must use als for conditions (like 'If it rains...'). You must use of when you mean 'whether' or are introducing an indirect yes/no question. Since the sentence means 'I don't know whether I am unable to attend', you must use of.
Why does ben go at the very end of the sentence?
The conjunction of always introduces a subordinate clause. As you likely remember from earlier levels, Dutch subordinate clauses push all verbs to the end. That is why the conjugated verb ben is placed after the adjective verhinderd rather than directly following the subject ik.
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