Word
Als jij het meel mengt, weeg ik de boter.
Meaning
If you mix the flour, I will weigh the butter.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Als jij het meel mengt, weeg ik de boter.
Why does the first part end with the verb mengt?
The word Als (If) introduces a dependent clause. In Dutch, dependent clauses always send their conjugated verb to the very end of that clause. That is why mengt (mix) comes after het meel (the flour).
Why is it weeg ik instead of ik weeg in the second part?
Because of the verb-second rule. The entire first clause (Als jij het meel mengt) counts as the first block of information. The main verb (weeg) must come immediately after it in the second position, which pushes the subject (ik) to the other side of the verb.
Why does this sentence use jij instead of je?
Using jij adds emphasis. This sentence creates a contrast between two people dividing tasks: if you do this, I will do that. Emphasizing the pronoun highlights this division of labor.
Can als also mean "when" in Dutch?
Yes, als translates to both "if" and "when". You usually tell them apart by context. In this baking scenario, "if" makes sense as a condition, but "when you mix the flour" would also be a perfectly correct translation.