Breakdown of Die onverwachte vraag beïnvloedt mijn planning.
die
that
mijn
my
onverwacht
unexpected
de vraag
the question
beïnvloeden
to influence
de planning
the planning
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Questions & Answers about Die onverwachte vraag beïnvloedt mijn planning.
What is the function of die in this sentence—is it “the” or “that”?
Here die is a demonstrative pronoun meaning that. Because vraag is a common-gender noun (a “de-word”), you use die, not dat.
Why does the adjective onverwachte end in -e instead of staying onverwacht?
In Dutch, adjectives following a definite determiner (like a definite article de, het, or a demonstrative such as die) take an -e ending. Since die is definite, onverwacht becomes onverwachte.
Why does beïnvloedt have a “dt” ending rather than just “t” or “d”?
The infinitive is beïnvloeden. Remove -en to get the stem beïnvloed. For third-person singular present you add -t. Because the stem already ends in d, you end up with d + t → dt, giving beïnvloedt.
What is the purpose of the diaeresis (trema) on the ï in beïnvloedt?
The trema on ï signals that e and i are pronounced in two separate syllables: be-ïn-vloedt, not as one combined sound.
Why is the word order Subject-Verb-Object (S-V-O) here?
Dutch main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in second position. When the subject comes first (as here: Die onverwachte vraag), the verb beïnvloedt must come second, followed by the object mijn planning.
Why do we say mijn planning instead of using an article like de planning?
mijn is a possessive pronoun (“my”) that replaces the need for a definite article. Dutch possessives are invariable, so you simply say mijn planning.
Could I rephrase this in the passive voice?
Yes. In passive you’d say: Mijn planning wordt beïnvloed door die onverwachte vraag. Here mijn planning becomes the subject, wordt beïnvloed is the passive verb, and door introduces the original subject.