Breakdown of Wie redt de kat als er brand is?
zijn
to be
de kat
the cat
wie
who
er
there (existential)
als
if / when (condition)
de brand
the fire
redden
to save (rescue)
Questions & Answers about Wie redt de kat als er brand is?
Why is the verb is at the very end of the sentence?
This happens because of the word als (if/when). Als introduces a dependent clause. In Dutch, dependent clauses always send their conjugated verb (in this case, is) to the very end of the clause.
Why does the verb redt end in -dt?
The verb is redden (to save). To make the singular form for a third party (which we use for the question word wie), you take the stem of the verb and add -t. Since the stem is red, adding a -t gives you redt. You don't pronounce the extra 't', but you must write it!
What does the word er do in this sentence?
Here, er combines with the verb is to mean "there is". Just like in English, we say "if there is a fire" (als er brand is) rather than "if a fire is".
Why is there no word for "a" before brand?
In Dutch, brand (fire) in the sense of a destructive event or emergency is often treated as an uncountable concept. So, you usually say er is brand instead of er is een brand.
Could als mean "when" in this sentence instead of "if"?
Yes! The Dutch word als can mean both "if" and "when" when talking about the present or future. Without more context, this sentence could also be translated as "Who saves the cat when there is a fire?".
Learn Wie redt de kat als er brand is and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free