Hij werd benauwd en kort bewusteloos.

Because werden means to become, while zijn means to be.

So:

• Hij was benauwd = he was short of breath / he felt tight in the chest
• Hij werd benauwd = he became short of breath / he started feeling that way

In this sentence, the Dutch is focusing on a change of state, not just a state itself.

Werd is the simple past singular of worden.

A few useful forms are:

• ik word = I become
• hij wordt = he becomes
• hij werd = he became
• hij is geworden = he has become

So Hij werd benauwd literally means He became benauwd.

Benauwd can be a tricky word because it has a wider range than any single English word.

Depending on context, it can mean things like:

• short of breath
• tight-chested
• oppressed
• stuffy
• anxious or distressed

In a medical or physical context like this one, benauwd usually means something like short of breath or having trouble breathing.

So learners should remember that benauwd is a common Dutch word, but its exact English translation depends heavily on the situation.

Because Dutch can leave it out when the same verb applies to both parts.

So:

• Hij werd benauwd en kort bewusteloos

is a shortened form of:

• Hij werd benauwd en werd kort bewusteloos

This kind of omission is very normal. English does the same thing:

• He became short of breath and briefly unconscious

You do not need to repeat became if it clearly belongs to both adjectives.

Here kort means briefly or for a short time.

It modifies bewusteloos, so:

• kort bewusteloos = unconscious for a short time / briefly unconscious

Dutch often uses an adjective-like form where English would prefer an adverb ending in -ly.

Compare:

• kort daarna = shortly afterwards
• kort wachten = wait briefly
• kort bewusteloos = briefly unconscious

So even though kort literally means short, here it functions more like briefly.

Yes. Bewusteloos is an adjective meaning unconscious.

In this sentence, both benauwd and bewusteloos are predicate adjectives, coming after the verb werd.

That is why they do not take endings here.

Compare:

• een bewusteloze man = an unconscious man
• de man werd bewusteloos = the man became unconscious

In the first example, the adjective comes before a noun and may take an ending. In the second, it comes after the verb and stays in its basic form.

Because they are used after the verb, not directly before a noun.

Dutch adjectives usually only take endings when they come before a noun:

• de benauwde patiënt
• een bewusteloze vrouw

But after verbs like zijn, worden, blijven, they stay unchanged:

• de patiënt is benauwd
• de vrouw werd bewusteloos

So benauwd and bewusteloos are in their plain form because they are predicate adjectives.

Yes, this is normal Dutch word order.

The basic structure is:

• subject: Hij
• verb: werd
• complement(s): benauwd en kort bewusteloos

Dutch often places these descriptive parts after the verb in a simple main clause.

You could also see slightly different phrasing in real Dutch, such as:

• Hij werd benauwd en was kort bewusteloos
• Hij werd benauwd en raakte kort bewusteloos

But the word order in your sentence is completely natural.

Yes, definitely.

Dutch often uses raken with adjectives to mean to get or to become, especially with sudden changes:

• Hij raakte bewusteloos = He lost consciousness / became unconscious

That can sound a bit more idiomatic in some contexts than werd bewusteloos, although werd bewusteloos is also correct.

So these are both possible:

• Hij werd bewusteloos
• Hij raakte bewusteloos

The second one often feels a bit more dynamic or event-like.

It sounds fairly neutral, but slightly on the medical/reporting side because of the words benauwd and bewusteloos together.

You might see or hear it in:

• a medical report
• a news report
• a witness statement
• a formal description of symptoms

In very casual speech, people might choose slightly different wording, for example something more conversational for benauwd depending on the exact situation.

Yes. That is one reason learners sometimes find it confusing.

For example, ik voel me benauwd could refer to:

• physical shortness of breath
• feeling oppressed in a hot/stuffy room
• a kind of anxious, constricted feeling

So you should always use context to decide. In your sentence, because it is followed by kort bewusteloos, the likely reading is clearly physical distress, not just emotional discomfort.

Almost, but not quite in style.

• kort bewusteloos is normal and natural
• kortdurend bewusteloos sounds more formal or technical

Kortdurend means short-lasting. It is more likely in medical or written descriptions, while kort bewusteloos is the more ordinary way to say it.

It can, but kort is simpler and more common.

You may also encounter:

• kortstondig bewusteloos
• tijdelijk bewusteloos

These are possible, but they are a bit more formal or stylistically marked than kort bewusteloos.

So the sentence uses the most straightforward everyday option.