Breakdown of Jullie wordt niets beloofd als jullie roekeloos gokken.
jullie
you (plural)
worden
to become
niets
nothing
beloven
to promise
als
if / when (condition)
roekeloos
reckless
gokken
to gamble
Questions & Answers about Jullie wordt niets beloofd als jullie roekeloos gokken.
Why is the verb wordt singular if the sentence starts with the plural Jullie?
This highlights a core difference in how Dutch handles passive sentences. In this sentence, the grammatical subject is actually niets (nothing), which requires the singular verb wordt. Jullie is the indirect object (the ones receiving the promise). It sits in the first position for emphasis, but it does not control the verb form.
Can I translate "You are promised nothing" as Jullie worden niets beloofd to match the English plural subject?
No, that is grammatically incorrect in Dutch. In English, you can turn an indirect object ("you") into the subject of a passive sentence. Dutch does not allow this. The thing being promised (the direct object, niets) must become the subject in the Dutch passive sentence.
Could I add aan to make the role of Jullie clearer?
Yes, absolutely! Because jullie is an indirect object here, you can use the preposition aan (to) and say: Aan jullie wordt niets beloofd... This often makes the sentence structure easier for English speakers to parse, as it makes it instantly obvious that jullie is not the subject.
How would you say the first half of this sentence in the active voice?
If we use the indefinite subject men (one / people), the active voice would be: Men belooft jullie niets (One promises you nothing). Looking at the active sentence makes it easier to see that niets is the direct object (what is being promised) and jullie is the indirect object (to whom it is promised).
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