When writing official policies, safety protocols, or legal regulations, you will often need to define exact conditions and exceptions. Dutch uses highly formal prepositions to establish these strict boundaries.
Behoudens (Subject to / Except for)
The formal preposition behoudens sets an exception to a general rule. It translates to "subject to," "except for," or "barring." You will frequently see it in safety manuals to indicate that a rule applies unless a specific condition is met.
| subject to / except for | behoudens |
| Subject to compelling reasons, the staff must follow this protocol. | Behoudens zwaarwegende redenen dient het personeel dit protocol te volgen. |
It is often used alongside formal vocabulary like handhaven (to enforce) and het voorschrift (regulation).
| Subject to this exception, we enforce every regulation in the factory. | Behoudens deze uitzondering handhaven wij elk voorschrift in de fabriek. |
| Subject to unforeseen circumstances, serious injury is rare. | Behoudens onvoorziene omstandigheden is ernstig letsel zeldzaam. |
Ongeacht (Regardless of)
When a rule is absolute and applies without any exceptions, use ongeacht. This preposition means "regardless of" or "irrespective of," showing that surrounding conditions do not change the requirement.
| regardless of | ongeacht |
| Regardless of the heat, you must wear the mask. | Ongeacht de hitte dient u het masker te dragen. |
Like behoudens, ongeacht is standard in strict official environments where compliance is non-negotiable.
| Regardless of the consequences, we enforce this policy strictly. | Ongeacht de consequenties handhaven wij dit beleid strikt. |
| Regardless of the exposure, we must accept the consequences. | Ongeacht de blootstelling dienen we de consequenties te accepteren. |
Combining Conditions and Exceptions
In highly formal safety policies, you might encounter both prepositions working together to clarify exactly when a rule applies.
| Except for compelling exceptions, we enforce the rule, regardless of the consequence. | Behoudens zwaarwegende uitzonderingen handhaven wij de regel, ongeacht de consequentie. |