Word
Ik wil weten of de folders hier gratis zijn.
Meaning
I want to know if the brochures are free here.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Ik wil weten of de folders hier gratis zijn.
Why do we use of here instead of als for "if"?
In Dutch, of is used to mean "if" or "whether" when you are asking an indirect yes/no question (like "I want to know if..."). You use als for conditional "if" statements, like "If it rains, I will stay inside."
Why is the verb zijn at the very end of the sentence?
The word of introduces a subclause (a dependent part of the sentence). In Dutch subclauses, the conjugated verb is pushed to the very end. That is why we say of de folders hier gratis zijn instead of keeping the verb in the middle like in English.
Does folders mean the same thing as it does in English?
Not exactly! While it looks like an English word, a folder in Dutch usually means a printed brochure, leaflet, or promotional flyer. If you mean a folder to hold loose papers, the Dutch word is een map.
Could I use vrij instead of gratis to say the brochures are free?
No, vrij means "free" as in having freedom, liberty, or free time. When a product or service costs zero money, you must always use gratis.