Breakdown of De brandweer helpt ons als we in gevaar zijn.
zijn
to be
in
in
helpen
to help
ons
us (object)
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
als
if / when (condition)
het gevaar
the danger
de brandweer
the fire brigade
Questions & Answers about De brandweer helpt ons als we in gevaar zijn.
Why is the verb zijn at the very end of the sentence?
Because the second part of the sentence starts with als (if). Als is a subordinating conjunction, which is a type of connecting word that kicks the verb (zijn) all the way to the end of its clause.
Could als also translate to 'when' in this sentence?
Yes! In Dutch, als can mean both 'if' and 'when' in the present tense. Without more context, this sentence could just as easily mean 'The fire brigade helps us when we are in danger.'
Why is the verb helpt singular if a fire brigade has many people?
In Dutch, brandweer (fire brigade or fire department) is always a singular noun, so it takes the singular verb helpt. It refers to the single organization as a whole.
Why does the sentence use we instead of wij?
We is the unstressed version of the pronoun wij. Unless you want to specifically emphasize who is in danger (as in, 'if WE are in danger, but not THEM'), the unstressed we is the most natural choice.
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