Breakdown of Of dat dompelbad verkwikkend is!
zijn
to be
dat
that (het-words)
of
emphatic exclamatory 'of' (boy, was it ...!)
het dompelbad
the plunge pool
verkwikken
to invigorate
Questions & Answers about Of dat dompelbad verkwikkend is!
Why does this sentence start with Of and put the verb is at the very end?
This is the rhetorical exclamatory of-clause you are learning in this lesson! Even though it stands alone as a full sentence, it borrows the structure of a subordinate clause (starting with the conjunction of and sending the verb to the end). It is used to express extreme agreement or emphasize how true a statement is, similar to the English 'Is it ever...!' or 'You better believe that...'
Can I use this Of... structure to express a strong negative opinion or disagreement?
No, this structure is strictly for emphatic affirmation. You use it when you strongly agree with what was just said or asked. If someone asks if the plunge pool was refreshing, replying with Of dat dompelbad verkwikkend is! means you are confirming it enthusiastically.
What kind of word is verkwikkend?
It is a present participle functioning as an adjective. It comes from the verb verkwikken (to refresh or invigorate) with the suffix -end added to the infinitive. Because it is used here as a predicate adjective (placed after the verb is rather than right in front of a noun), it does not get an -e ending.
Just a quick refresher: why do we use dat instead of die for dompelbad?
In Dutch, the gender of a compound noun is always determined by its final part. Since bad (bath or pool) is a het-word, the compound dompelbad is also a het-word. Therefore, it requires the demonstrative pronoun dat (that) rather than die.
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