Breakdown of Ik ga na in hoeverre deze limiet redelijk is.
ik
I
zijn
to be
deze
this / these
redelijk
reasonable
Questions & Answers about Ik ga na in hoeverre deze limiet redelijk is.
Why does the verb is appear at the very end of this sentence?
The phrase in hoeverre ("to what extent") introduces an indirect question, which functions as a subclause in Dutch. Just like with conjunctions such as dat or of, this triggers verb-final word order, pushing is to the end of the clause.
Where does the word na come from, and why is it placed right before in hoeverre?
It belongs to the separable verb nagaan (to check, to verify). In a main clause, the conjugated part (ga) takes the second position, and the separable prefix (na) is pushed to the end of that clause. Here, the main clause ends right before the subclause begins.
Could I use a phrase like in welke mate instead of in hoeverre here?
Yes, in welke mate (to what degree/extent) is a perfectly valid alternative and has the exact same word-order rules. However, in hoeverre is a highly common, fixed expression for this specific meaning and often sounds slightly more natural in standard Dutch.
If I wanted to say "I want to check" using a modal verb, what would happen to ga na?
The sentence would change to Ik wil nagaan in hoeverre deze limiet redelijk is. Because the modal verb wil takes the second position in the main clause, the separable verb nagaan is pushed to the end of the main clause and stitched back together as a full infinitive.