Breakdown of De verstandige docent had ervoor gezorgd dat er genoeg lampen waren voor de klas.
zijn
to be
hebben
to have
voor
for
dat
that
er
there
genoeg
enough
de klas
the classroom
de docent
the teacher
de lamp
the lamp
verstandig
sensible
ervoor zorgen
to make sure
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Questions & Answers about De verstandige docent had ervoor gezorgd dat er genoeg lampen waren voor de klas.
What does ervoor zorgen mean?
ervoor zorgen is a separable verb meaning to ensure or to make sure. It combines zorgen (“to take care”) with the particle ervoor (“for that”), turning it into an idiom for guaranteeing that something happens.
How do separable verbs work in perfect tenses like had ervoor gezorgd?
In Dutch perfect tenses you use an auxiliary (hebben or zijn) plus the past participle at the end. For separable verbs, the prefix (here ervoor) follows the auxiliary and precedes the participle. So with ervoor zorgen you get:
— had (auxiliary) + ervoor (prefix) + gezorgd (past participle).
Why is the past perfect (had … gezorgd) used instead of the simple past (zorgde ervoor)?
The past perfect (had … gezorgd) indicates that this action was completed before another past reference point (for example, before the lesson began). If you simply narrate a past event without anchoring it to an earlier past moment, you would normally use the simple past, e.g. De verstandige docent zorgde ervoor dat…
In dat er genoeg lampen waren, why is waren at the very end of the clause?
Because in Dutch subordinate clauses introduced by dat, the finite verb moves to the end (SOV word order). Everything else—subject er, noun phrase genoeg lampen, etc.—comes before waren.
Why are there two er words (ervoor and er genoeg lampen) and do they mean the same?
They are unrelated:
- The er in ervoor is the separable prefix of the verb ervoor zorgen.
- The er in er genoeg lampen is an expletive pronoun (like English there in “there were enough lamps”), used to introduce existence.
What role does genoeg play here? Could it be placed after lampen (e.g., lampen genoeg)?
Here genoeg is a determiner meaning enough and normally precedes the noun: genoeg lampen. You might hear lampen genoeg colloquially for emphasis, but in a formal subordinate clause with dat, use dat er genoeg lampen waren.
What does voor de klas mean? Does it mean for the students or in the classroom?
Literally voor de klas is for the class, but idiomatically it means in the classroom or in front of a class—in other words, the setting where the students are taught.
What nuance does verstandige add compared to adjectives like slimme or wijze?
- verstandig = sensible or prudent, emphasizing good judgment.
- slim = clever or smart, focusing on intelligence.
- wijs = wise, implying deep, often philosophical wisdom.
A verstandige docent is one who makes prudent, well-reasoned decisions, not just an academically bright (slimme) or deeply philosophical (wijze) teacher.