Breakdown of Al wie in het testament staat, zal een deel erven.
een
a/an
in
in
staan
to stand
zullen
shall / will
het deel
the part (general portion)
het testament
the will / the testament
al wie
whoever
erven
to inherit
Questions & Answers about Al wie in het testament staat, zal een deel erven.
Why does the verb staat take the singular form when al wie refers to multiple people?
Even though al wie translates to whoever or everyone who and implies a group, the pronoun wie (who) is grammatically singular in Dutch. Therefore, it takes the singular verb staat.
Why does the sentence use staat (stands) instead of is (is) for being in the will?
In Dutch, when referring to information, words, or names written in a document, book, or text, you use the verb staan (to stand). So, a person or name stands in a will (in het testament staat) rather than is in it.
Why does the second clause start with the verb zal right after the comma?
This is a classic example of the V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire dependent clause (Al wie in het testament staat) acts as the first position of the main sentence. To keep the finite main verb in the second position, zal must come immediately after it.
Is there a more common alternative to al wie in this sentence?
Yes, in everyday speech you will frequently hear iedereen die (everyone who) used instead. Iedereen die in het testament staat means the exact same thing, though al wie can sound slightly more formal or categorical.
Learn Al wie in het testament staat, zal een deel erven 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