Breakdown of Wij waren niet op de hoogte van het interne onderzoek.
intern
internal
op de hoogte zijn van
to be informed about
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Questions & Answers about Wij waren niet op de hoogte van het interne onderzoek.
The phrase "op de hoogte van" translates to "informed about". What does it literally mean?
Literally, op de hoogte zijn van means "to be on the height of." In Dutch, this is a highly common fixed expression used to express that you are aware of, informed about, or up to date with a specific situation.
Since "onderzoek" is a neuter (het) word, why does the adjective "interne" get an -e at the end here?
Because it is preceded by the definite article het. When a het word follows het, dit, or dat, any descriptive adjective gets an -e ending. If it were an indefinite "an internal investigation" (een intern onderzoek), the adjective would drop the -e.
How would you add the evidential framing clause "As far as I know" to the beginning of this sentence?
You would use the structure Naar ik weet. Remember that placing this clause at the start of the sentence triggers verb inversion in the main clause. The sentence would become: Naar ik weet, waren wij niet op de hoogte van het interne onderzoek.
Can "onderzoek" also mean "research"? How do we know it means "investigation" here?
Yes, onderzoek is a very versatile word that can mean "research," "investigation," or a medical "examination." You have to rely on context. An intern onderzoek is a standard collocation in business or legal contexts referring to a company investigating its own operations or staff.