Breakdown of Zij heeft geluk, dat is duidelijk.
duidelijk
clear (obvious, comprehensible)
geluk hebben
to be lucky
Questions & Answers about Zij heeft geluk, dat is duidelijk.
Wait, why isn't the verb at the end of the sentence? I thought 'dat' pushed the verb to the end!
The rule you are learning applies when dat is a subordinating conjunction (a connecting word, like "I think that..."). But in this sentence, dat is a demonstrative pronoun (meaning "that thing"). The sentence is just two main clauses separated by a comma: "She has luck" and "That is clear." Because they are independent main clauses, normal word order applies and the verb is stays in the second position.
How would I rewrite this sentence so that 'dat' actually acts as a subordinating conjunction like in the lesson?
You would combine the phrases so that the second part depends on the first. For example: Het is duidelijk dat zij geluk heeft. (It is clear that she is lucky). Notice how the verb heeft is now pushed to the very end because dat is acting as a true connecting word here.
Why does the Dutch say 'heeft geluk' instead of using a word for 'is lucky'?
In Dutch, you generally don't say someone "is lucky" using an adjective. Instead, you use the expression geluk hebben (to have luck). So zij heeft geluk translates literally to "she has luck."
Could I say 'ze' instead of 'zij' in this sentence?
Yes, you can absolutely say Ze heeft geluk, dat is duidelijk. Using zij is the stressed form, which adds a bit of emphasis, pointing out that she specifically is the one who is lucky.
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