Log inSign up

Hierdoor vindt de zinloze vergadering niet plaats.

Hierdoor vindt de zinloze vergadering niet plaats.
Because of this, the pointless meeting does not take place.
From Lesson 446:Causal adverbs (daardoor, hierdoor)·Dutch

Questions & Answers about Hierdoor vindt de zinloze vergadering niet plaats.

Why does the verb vindt come before the subject de zinloze vergadering?
The sentence starts with the causal adverb Hierdoor ("because of this"). Whenever a main clause starts with something other than the subject, Dutch applies inversion to maintain the verb-second (V2) rule. Therefore, vindt stays in the second position, pushing the subject to the third position.
Vindt and plaats are separated here. How do we know where to put plaats?
Plaatsvinden (to take place) is a separable verb. In a standard main clause, the conjugated part (vindt) takes the second position, while the separable prefix (plaats) gets kicked to the very end of the sentence.
The base adjective is zinloos. Why is it spelled zinloze here?
Because vergadering is a de word and is preceded by a definite article, the adjective needs an -e ending. Adding this -e creates an open syllable, so we drop one o to keep the long vowel sound. Additionally, the final s of zinloos changes to a z because it is now sandwiched between two vowels.
Why is niet placed right before plaats instead of earlier in the sentence?
When negating the main action of a sentence, niet tends to be pushed as far to the end as possible. However, the rule is that it must always come before a separated verb prefix. That is why it sits perfectly right in front of plaats.

Learn Hierdoor vindt de zinloze vergadering niet plaats and more in Dutch

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Dutch →