Breakdown of Naar verluidt zou het bedrijf de misstand verdoezelen.
zullen
shall / will
het bedrijf
the company
verdoezelen
to cover up
naar
as (according to what someone knows/says)
verluiden
to be reported
de misstand
the abuse (malpractice)
Questions & Answers about Naar verluidt zou het bedrijf de misstand verdoezelen.
How does naar verluidt fit the pattern of evidential frames with naar?
While phrases like naar ik weet use a pronoun and an active verb, naar verluidt is a fixed impersonal expression. It comes from the old verb verluiden (to become known or reported). As an evidential frame, it tells us the source of the information is general hearsay, translating to 'reportedly' or 'according to reports'.
Why use the conditional zou here instead of the present tense verdoezelt?
In Dutch, especially in journalism, the past tense of zullen (zou or zouden) is often used to express unconfirmed allegations or hearsay ('is said to'). Even though naar verluidt already means 'reportedly', pairing it with zou is a very common way to heavily emphasize that this is an unverified claim.
Why does zou come immediately after naar verluidt?
The phrase naar verluidt acts as a single adverbial block placed at the beginning of the sentence. This triggers inversion: the finite verb (zou) must take the second position, pushing the subject (het bedrijf) to the third position.
How is the word misstand constructed?
It combines the prefix mis- (meaning wrong or bad) with stand (state, condition, or situation). A misstand is a formal term for an abuse, scandal, or structural wrongdoing, which fits perfectly with the verb verdoezelen (to cover up).
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