Breakdown of Al wat de man nalaat, komt toe aan zijn zoon.
de man
the man
zijn
his
de zoon
the son
al wat
whatever
Questions & Answers about Al wat de man nalaat, komt toe aan zijn zoon.
Why use al wat instead of just wat or alles wat?
Al wat specifically translates to "whatever" or "all that." While alles wat is very similar and means "everything that," al wat is often used to emphasize "whatever it may be" as a universal inclusive pronoun. Just wat would simply mean "what," which lacks that sweeping "everything" emphasis.
Why is the separable verb nalaten written as one word here?
Because al wat de man nalaat is a subordinate clause. In a subordinate clause, the verb is pushed to the very end, and the two parts of a separable verb like nalaten (to leave behind or bequeath) stick together as a single word.
Why does the second part of the sentence start with the verb komt?
This happens because of the V2 (verb second) rule. The entire first clause (Al wat de man nalaat) acts as a single block occupying the first position in the sentence. To keep the main verb in the second position, the conjugated verb of the main clause (komt) must come right after the comma.
The English translation says "falls to." How does komt toe aan work?