Breakdown of De baas controleert het resultaat nadat wij het systeem uitzetten.
wij
we
de baas
the boss
controleren
to check
het resultaat
the result
nadat
after
uitzetten
to turn off (devices, machines)
het systeem
the system
Questions & Answers about De baas controleert het resultaat nadat wij het systeem uitzetten.
Why is the verb uitzetten at the very end of the sentence?
The word nadat (after) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause (a subclause). In Dutch subclauses, the conjugated verb is always pushed to the very end of the sentence.
Uitzetten is a separable verb. Why isn't it split into zetten and uit here?
You normally split separable verbs in a main clause, putting the verb in the second position and the prefix at the end (for example: Wij zetten het systeem uit). However, because nadat pushes the verb to the end of the subclause, the two parts meet at the end and stick together as one word: uitzetten.
Could I just use na instead of nadat in this sentence?
No, they have different jobs! You use na (after) before a noun or noun phrase, like na het werk (after work). You must use nadat when you are introducing a full clause that contains its own subject and verb, like nadat wij het systeem uitzetten.
Both halves of the sentence use the present tense. Is that normal with nadat?
Yes. When talking about a general routine or habit, it is very common to use the present tense in both parts: controleert (checks) and uitzetten (turn off). If this were about a single specific event in the past, you would often see a perfect tense in the nadat clause to emphasize that the action was fully completed first.
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