Breakdown of De dokter zegt dat de weegschaal in de ochtend het meest nauwkeurig is.
zijn
to be
in
in
dat
that
de ochtend
the morning
zeggen
to say
de dokter
the doctor
de weegschaal
the scale
het meest nauwkeurig
most accurate
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Questions & Answers about De dokter zegt dat de weegschaal in de ochtend het meest nauwkeurig is.
Why does the verb is appear at the end of the sentence?
In Dutch, when you introduce a subordinate clause with dat (“that”), the finite verb moves to the very end. Here “is” belongs to the subordinate clause dat de weegschaal in de ochtend het meest nauwkeurig is.
What is the role of dat in this sentence?
dat is a conjunction meaning “that.” It links the main clause De dokter zegt (“The doctor says”) with the subordinate clause. Every time you report speech or thought in Dutch with “says that,” “believes that,” etc., you use dat to introduce the embedded clause.
How do you form the superlative of nauwkeurig?
There are two main ways in Dutch:
- With het meest + adjective (common for longer adjectives): het meest nauwkeurig (“the most accurate”).
- By adding -st directly: nauwkeurigst.
Both are grammatically correct, but het meest nauwkeurig is more frequent for three-syllable adjectives like nauwkeurig.
Why is there a het before meest in het meest nauwkeurig?
Dutch uses het plus meest to form a predicative superlative when the adjective isn’t directly in front of a noun. It literally means “the most accurate.” Without het, the phrase would be incomplete.
Could you use nauwkeurigst instead of het meest nauwkeurig here?
Yes. You could say De dokter zegt dat de weegschaal in de ochtend nauwkeurigst is. This is shorter, but some speakers feel het meest nauwkeurig sounds more natural for a longer adjective.
Why is it in de ochtend? Can’t you say ’s ochtends?
Both are possible:
- in de ochtend = “in the morning” (focus on that specific part of the day).
- ’s ochtends = “in the mornings” or “in the morning” (more habitual).
So you could also say De dokter zegt dat de weegschaal ’s ochtends het meest nauwkeurig is.
Why is de weegschaal used instead of just weegschaal?
In Dutch, you need an article before singular countable nouns. de is the definite article for this noun. You choose de because “weegschaal” is a de-word (common gender).
Why isn’t it meest nauwkeuriger as the superlative?
You don’t combine meest (most) with the comparative ending -er. For comparatives you use nauwkeuriger (“more accurate”). For superlatives you choose either nauwkeurigst or het meest nauwkeurig.
How does the word order here differ from English?
English keeps Subject-Verb-Object order in both main and subordinate clauses. Dutch uses:
- Main clause (V2‐rule): “De dokter zegt dat…”
- Subordinate clause (verb‐final): “… dat de weegschaal in de ochtend het meest nauwkeurig is.”