Breakdown of Al wat de oom nalaat, is voor de familie.
zijn
to be
de familie
the family
voor
for (on behalf of)
de oom
the uncle
Questions & Answers about Al wat de oom nalaat, is voor de familie.
What is the difference between al wat and alles wat?
They mean the exact same thing: "whatever" or "all that". Al wat is slightly more formal or literary, while alles wat is more common in everyday spoken Dutch. In this sentence, you could easily replace it with Alles wat de oom nalaat...
Could I use al wie in this sentence instead?
No, because al wie refers strictly to people ("whoever" or "anyone who"), while al wat refers to things ("whatever" or "all that"). Since an inheritance consists of things like money or property, al wat is the correct choice here.
Why is nalaat written as a single word at the end of the first clause?
The infinitive is the separable verb nalaten (to leave behind / to bequeath). Because al wat de oom nalaat functions as a subordinate clause, the verb is pushed to the end. In subordinate clauses, the separable prefix (na-) and the conjugated verb (laat) are joined back together.
Why does the verb is come immediately after the comma?
The entire first clause (Al wat de oom nalaat) acts as the subject of the main sentence. Remember the Dutch V2 rule: the conjugated verb must come second in a main clause. Since the whole subject clause takes up "position 1", the verb is must immediately follow it in "position 2".