Log inSign up

Die ademhalingsoefening werkt geruststellend als ik nerveus ben.

Die ademhalingsoefening werkt geruststellend als ik nerveus ben.
That breathing exercise works reassuringly when I am nervous.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Dutch now

Questions & Answers about Die ademhalingsoefening werkt geruststellend als ik nerveus ben.

Why is it die ademhalingsoefening and not deze ademhalingsoefening or dat ademhalingsoefening?

In Dutch, the demonstratives depend on two things: distance and noun gender.

  • Ademhalingsoefening is a de-word (common gender).
  • For de-words:
    • deze = this (near the speaker)
    • die = that (farther away, or just not particularly near)

So:

  • Deze ademhalingsoefening = this breathing exercise
  • Die ademhalingsoefening = that breathing exercise

Dat is used with het-words, not with de-words, so dat ademhalingsoefening is ungrammatical.

Here die just points to a specific exercise, probably one mentioned before or not physically close to the speaker.

What kind of word is ademhalingsoefening, and how is it built?

Ademhalingsoefening is a compound noun, very typical in Dutch.

It consists of:

  • ademhaling = breathing
    • from adem (breath) + haling (from halen, to draw/take)
  • oefening = exercise

Together: ademhalingsoefening = breathing exercise.

As a whole, it’s a de-word: de ademhalingsoefening.

Dutch very often packs several ideas into one long compound like this (e.g. taaluitwisselingspartner, verkeersveiligheidscampagne).

Why do we say werkt geruststellend instead of is geruststellend?

Both are possible, but they emphasize slightly different things:

  • Die ademhalingsoefening is geruststellend.

    • Focus: the inherent quality of the exercise.
    • That breathing exercise is calming/reassuring (as a property).

  • Die ademhalingsoefening werkt geruststellend.

    • Focus: the effect it has when you use it.
    • Literally: That breathing exercise works in a calming way / has a calming effect.

Using werken like this is common when talking about effects:

  • Het medicijn werkt snel. – The medicine works quickly.
  • Koffie werkt opwekkend. – Coffee has a stimulating effect.

So werkt geruststellend highlights the practical effect the exercise has on you when you do it.

What exactly is geruststellend here, and where does it come from?

Geruststellend is a present participle used as an adjective/adverbial.

Breakdown:

  • Verb: geruststellen = to reassure, to calm someone down
    • gerust = at ease, reassured
    • stellen = to put/place/set
  • Present participle: geruststellend = reassuring, calming (literally: reassuring-ly)

In the sentence:

  • werkt geruststellend = works in a reassuring / calming way.

As a participle used predicatively, it doesn’t take an extra ending here (no extra -e), because it comes directly after the verb werkt and describes how it works, not a noun before it.

Compare:

  • Een geruststellende oefening – a reassuring exercise (with -e because it’s before a noun)
  • Die oefening is geruststellend. – That exercise is reassuring.
Could I also say Deze ademhalingsoefening stelt me gerust als ik nerveus ben? Is that correct, and how does it differ in meaning?

Yes, that is correct Dutch, but the structure is different:

  • Original: Die ademhalingsoefening werkt geruststellend als ik nerveus ben.

    • No direct object; the exercise has a calming effect in general.

  • Alternative: Deze ademhalingsoefening stelt me gerust als ik nerveus ben.

    • stelt … gerust: transitive verb with me as the direct object:
      This breathing exercise calms me / reassures me when I’m nervous.

The alternative:

  • Sounds a bit more personal and direct (it explicitly mentions me).
  • Uses the verb iemand geruststellen (to reassure/calm someone down), instead of the intransitive werken (to work, to have an effect).

Both are natural; choice depends on whether you want to talk about the effect in general or on you specifically.

Why is the verb ben at the end of als ik nerveus ben?

Because als ik nerveus ben is a subordinate clause (introduced by als, when), and in Dutch subordinate clauses the conjugated verb goes to the end:

  • Main clause word order:
    • Ik ben nerveus. – Subject + verb.
  • Subordinate clause word order:
    • als ik nerveus ben – Subordinator (als) + subject (ik) + rest + verb (ben).

So:

  • Die ademhalingsoefening werkt geruststellend als ik nerveus ben.
    • Main clause: Die ademhalingsoefening werkt geruststellend
    • Subordinate clause: als ik nerveus ben (verb at the end)

This verb-final rule applies to all subordinate clauses with words like als, omdat, dat, terwijl, hoewel, etc.

Can I put als ik nerveus ben at the beginning of the sentence, and what happens to the word order then?

Yes, that’s perfectly normal. The sentence becomes:

  • Als ik nerveus ben, werkt die ademhalingsoefening geruststellend.

Two key points:

  1. In the subordinate clause starting with als, the verb still goes to the end:

    • als ik nerveus ben

  2. When that subordinate clause comes first, the following main clause has inversion: the verb comes directly after the first element:

    • [Als ik nerveus ben], [werkt] [die ademhalingsoefening geruststellend].
      (verb werkt before the subject die ademhalingsoefening)

So:

  • End position: Die ademhalingsoefening werkt geruststellend als ik nerveus ben.
  • Fronted: Als ik nerveus ben, werkt die ademhalingsoefening geruststellend.

Both are correct and natural.

What is the difference between als ik nerveus ben and wanneer ik nerveus ben here?

In this sentence, both are grammatically correct and would be understood the same way.

Typical nuances:

  • als:

    • Very common in everyday speech for when(ever) in conditional or repeated situations.
    • Slightly more colloquial/neutral.

  • wanneer:

    • Originally more about time (at the moment when),
    • Often feels a bit more formal or bookish in some contexts.
    • Very common in questions: Wanneer ben je nerveus?

So:

  • Als ik nerveus ben, … – very natural, everyday phrasing.
  • Wanneer ik nerveus ben, … – also possible; can feel a bit more formal or written.

In casual spoken Dutch, als is much more frequent in this type of sentence.

Why is nerveus used here? How does it compare to zenuwachtig?

Both nerveus and zenuwachtig exist in Dutch and are quite similar:

  • nerveus:

    • Borrowed from French/Latin (similar to English nervous).
    • Used for feeling tense, on edge, anxious.

  • zenuwachtig:

    • More “native” Dutch (related to zenuwen = nerves).
    • Very common for everyday nervous in the sense of jittery, tense.

In this sentence, you could also say:

  • Die ademhalingsoefening werkt geruststellend als ik zenuwachtig ben.

Both are natural. Some speakers might slightly prefer zenuwachtig in everyday speech; nerveus can sound a tiny bit more clinical or borrowed, but in modern Dutch the difference is small.

What article does ademhalingsoefening use, and how can I know it’s de and not het?

The correct article is:

  • de ademhalingsoefening

Reasons:

  1. Oefening on its own is a de-word: de oefening.
    The compound ademhalingsoefening keeps the same gender as its head noun (oefening).

  2. Many nouns ending in -ing are de-words:

    • de oefening (exercise)
    • de opening (opening)
    • de opleiding (training/education)

So you say:

  • de ademhalingsoefening
  • therefore: die ademhalingsoefening (because die is used with de-words)