De wind veranderde plotseling van richting.

Because wind is a de-word in Dutch. Grammatical gender in Dutch has to be learned with each noun, and wind takes the article de.

So:

• de wind = the wind

There is no simple rule that lets you predict this from the meaning alone, so it is best to memorize nouns together with their article.

Veranderde is the simple past of veranderen (to change).

The verb forms are:

• veranderen = to change
• verandert = changes / is changing
• veranderde = changed / was changing
• heeft veranderd = has changed

In this sentence, veranderde means changed:

• De wind veranderde plotseling van richting.
• The wind suddenly changed direction.

Dutch weak verbs usually form the simple past with -de(n) or -te(n).

Veranderen is a weak verb, so its past singular is:

• ik veranderde
• jij veranderde / veranderde jij
• hij veranderde

The choice between -de and -te depends on the final sound of the verb stem, according to the well-known 't kofschip rule. Since the stem verander- does not end in one of those voiceless consonants, it takes -de.

In a normal Dutch main clause, the finite verb usually comes in second position. That is one of the most important word-order rules in Dutch.

So the structure here is:

• De wind = subject
• veranderde = finite verb
• plotseling = adverb
• van richting = prepositional phrase

This gives:

• De wind veranderde plotseling van richting.

You could move plotseling for emphasis, but the version in the sentence is very natural.

Here it functions as an adverb, because it describes how the change happened.

• een plotselinge verandering = a sudden change
  
  • here plotselinge is an adjective modifying a noun
• De wind veranderde plotseling = The wind changed suddenly
  
  • here plotseling is an adverb modifying the verb

Dutch often uses the same basic word for adjective and adverb, unlike English, which often adds -ly.

Yes. Ineens and plotseling can both mean suddenly, and in many contexts they are interchangeable.

For example:

• De wind veranderde plotseling van richting.
• De wind veranderde ineens van richting.

A small nuance:

• plotseling can sound a little more formal or descriptive
• ineens is very common in everyday speech

Both are correct here.

The phrase van richting veranderen is a standard Dutch expression meaning to change direction.

Literally, it is something like:

• to change of/from direction

Dutch often uses prepositional expressions where English uses a direct object.

Compare:

• van richting veranderen = to change direction
• van koers veranderen = to change course

So even though the literal structure differs from English, this is the natural Dutch phrasing.

Because van richting is part of a fixed expression: van richting veranderen.

In many fixed Dutch combinations, the noun appears without an article:

• van richting veranderen
• op school
• in huis
• met plezier

If you added an article, it would usually sound less idiomatic here. So:

• natural: van richting
• not the normal phrasing here: van de richting

Yes, depending on the context.

• De wind veranderde plotseling van richting.
  = simple past; often used in storytelling or written narrative

• De wind is plotseling van richting veranderd.
  = perfect tense; very common in spoken Dutch when talking about a completed event

One important detail: with veranderen in the sense of undergo a change, Dutch normally uses zijn as the auxiliary, not hebben.

So:

• is veranderd = has changed
  not usually:
• heeft veranderd in this meaning

These are simply two different past constructions:

1. Simple past

   • veranderde
   • one-word past form

2. Perfect tense

   • is veranderd
   • auxiliary + past participle

Dutch chooses between them somewhat differently from English. In many spoken contexts, Dutch prefers the perfect tense:

• De wind is plotseling van richting veranderd.

But in narratives, reports, or storytelling, the simple past is very common:

• De wind veranderde plotseling van richting.

A rough English-friendly guide:

• veranderde ≈ vuh-RAHN-duhr-duh
• richting ≈ RIKH-ting

A few pronunciation notes:

• r varies by region; don’t worry too much as a learner
• the g/ch sound in richting is the harsh Dutch sound, not an English k or g
• the i in richting is short, like the vowel in bit
• the final -e in veranderde is a weak schwa sound, like the a in sofa

Yes, but it means something slightly different unless you add more information.

• De wind veranderde van richting = the wind changed direction
• De wind draaide = the wind turned

In weather language, draaien can also be used for the wind changing direction, especially in more specific contexts:

• De wind draaide naar het noorden. = The wind turned to the north.

So veranderen van richting is very clear and neutral, while draaien is also possible but often works best when you say toward which direction.

The sentence follows a very common Dutch main-clause pattern:

• De wind = subject
• veranderde = finite verb
• plotseling = adverb
• van richting = complement / prepositional phrase

So the pattern is:

Subject + finite verb + adverb + rest

This is a good model for many Dutch sentences:

• De auto stopte plotseling.
• Het weer veranderde snel.
• De situatie werd ineens gevaarlijk.