Formal Conditions with Indien
When reading medical disclaimers, pharmaceutical warnings, or official documents, you will frequently encounter the formal word indien. It translates to "if" or "in the event that."
| in the event that | indien |
Because it is a subordinating conjunction, indien introduces a dependent clause and forces the verb (or verbs) to the very end of that clause.
Indien in the Second Half of a Sentence
When the condition comes after the main clause, the main clause maintains its normal word order, while the verb in the indien clause is pushed to the end.
(Note: Medical leaflets often use the full infinitive of a verb to give impersonal instructions, as seen with *lezen in the first example below).*
| Read the package leaflet in the event that you have swallowed the pill. | De bijsluiter lezen indien u de pil heeft geslikt. |
| You must not apply the ointment in the event that the skin is red. | U moet de zalf niet smeren indien de huid rood is. |
Starting a Sentence with Indien
When you place the indien clause at the beginning of the sentence, it still keeps its verb-final word order.
Because the entire subordinate clause now acts as the first piece of information in the sentence, it triggers inversion in the main clause. The main clause will immediately start with its verb, resulting in the two verbs meeting in the middle, separated only by a comma.
| In the event that you experience a side effect, you must call the pharmacist. | Indien u een bijwerking ervaart, moet u de apotheker bellen. |
| In the event that the pain worsens, the situation is severe. | Indien de pijn verergert, is de situatie ernstig. |
| In the event that you have exceeded the dosage, you must call the hospital. | Indien u de dosis heeft overschreden, moet u het ziekenhuis bellen. |
