Learn Hardcore Dutch: Zij is verlegen, maar haar vraag is oprecht.

Zij is the stressed/contrastive form; ze is the unstressed, everyday form. Both can mean “she” (or “they”). Sentence-initial zij can add emphasis (She, as opposed to someone else), while ze sounds neutral. Here, both Zij is verlegen… and Ze is verlegen… are fine.

Could zij also mean “they”? How do I know what it means here?

Yes, zij can mean “she” or “they.” Dutch verbs show number: Zij is = “she is,” Zij zijn = “they are.” Because the verb is is (singular), it must be “she” here.

Do I need the comma before maar?

It’s optional. Dutch often omits commas before coordinating conjunctions like maar, but many writers add one to separate two full clauses for readability. Both are correct: Zij is verlegen, maar haar vraag is oprecht. / Zij is verlegen maar haar vraag is oprecht.

What happens to word order after maar?

Maar is a coordinating conjunction, so the second part is another main clause with normal main-clause word order (verb in second position): haar vraag (subject) is (finite verb) oprecht. Contrast with a subordinator like omdat, which sends the verb to the end: …, omdat haar vraag oprecht is.

Why is there no article before haar vraag?

Possessive determiners (like mijn, jouw, haar, zijn, ons) replace the article, so you don’t use de/het/een: say haar vraag, not de/het/een haar vraag. If you want an “of her” phrasing, use een vraag van haar.

Is haar here the same word as “hair”?

Spelled the same, but different words. Here haar is the possessive “her.” The noun “hair” is het haar. Classic example: Haar haar is lang (“Her hair is long”).

Why don’t verlegen and oprecht get an -e ending here?

They’re used predicatively (after is), and predicative adjectives don’t take the -e. Attributive adjectives (before a noun) usually do.

Predicative: haar vraag is oprecht; zij is verlegen.
Attributive: haar oprechte vraag; de verlegen student. Note: there’s an exception for indefinite neuter nouns (e.g., een mooi huis), but that doesn’t apply to vraag (a common-gender, “de”-word).

Could I add wel for emphasis, as in …maar haar vraag is wél oprecht?

Yes. Wel adds affirmative contrast (“actually/indeed”), countering an expectation. …, maar haar vraag is wél oprecht subtly stresses that the question truly is sincere.

Can I drop the second is, or invert to …maar is haar vraag oprecht?

No dropping: you need the verb in both clauses, so not …, maar haar vraag oprecht. Inversion (…maar is haar vraag oprecht) turns it into a yes/no question. For a statement, keep …, maar haar vraag is oprecht.

Could I use eerlijk instead of oprecht?

Sometimes, but they’re not identical. Oprecht = “sincere, genuine (intent).” Eerlijk = “honest, truthful, fair.” Een oprechte vraag emphasizes good faith; een eerlijke vraag can work (often “a fair question”), but it leans toward fairness/honesty rather than sincerity.

What’s the gender of vraag, and what’s its plural?

Vraag is a common-gender noun: de vraag. The plural is vragen. With a possessive you drop the article: haar vraag, haar vragen.

How is zijn (“to be”) conjugated in the present tense?

ik ben
jij/je bent, u bent
hij/zij/ze/het is
wij/we zijn
jullie zijn
zij/ze (they) zijn

How do I pronounce key words here?

Approximate guide (IPA varies by region):

zij ≈ [zɛi] (same sound as past of “say”: zei)
ze ≈ [zə]
verlegen ≈ [vərˈleːɣən] (hard g/gh sound)
maar ≈ [maːr]
haar ≈ [haːr]
vraag ≈ [vraːx] (final ch as in Scottish “loch”)
oprecht ≈ [ɔpˈrɛxt] (again that guttural ch)